Directional signal fencing for medical appointment progress tracking

ABSTRACT

Provided are mechanisms and processes for directional signal fencing for medical schedule management. According to various examples, a system is provided which comprises a first sensor module, which includes a directional transceiver configured to transmit a first wireless signal directed toward a location within a medical examination room such that the location is within a first coverage area. A second sensor module includes a directional transceiver configured to transmit a second wireless signal directed toward the location such that the location is within a second coverage area. The first and second coverage areas overlap at a signal overlap area, which surrounds the location. The first and second sensor modules connect to a device corresponding to a physician within the signal overlap area. The duration of the connection between the device and the sensor modules is used to track the presence of the physician in the medical examination room.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/698,894 entitled: “DIRECTIONAL SIGNAL FENCING FOR MEDICAL APPOINTMENT PROGRESS TRACKING” filed on Nov. 27, 2019, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/453,621 entitled: “DIRECTIONAL SIGNAL FENCING FOR MEDICAL APPOINTMENT PROGRESS TRACKING” filed on Mar. 8, 2017, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,497,472 on Dec. 3, 2019. These applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

BACKGROUND

Medical appointments are commonly associated with notoriously long wait times. According to numerous reviews from patients, the number one complaint is the wait time to see the doctor. For instance, online review sites allow patients to comment and provide corresponding star ratings for service providers. On these sites, low star ratings for physicians are often associated with comments citing long wait times. Often, reviewers complain of waiting from between thirty minutes to two hours. These reviews indicate that patient satisfaction with a physician's care can be heavily influenced by wait times, and that excessive wait times can lead to negative reviews of a physician's services.

Accordingly, improving the wait time for a patient can greatly improve the patient's satisfaction with the physician. In turn, this satisfaction will improve the patient's subjective feelings about their care, which can lead to more effective treatment and service. Specifically, when the patient is in a positive frame of mind at the beginning of the examination, the appointment naturally flows more smoothly. In addition, physicians often note that when they are behind schedule, they often spend time apologizing to the patient about being late, which reduces the amount of time available for actual patient care. By reducing or eliminating patient wait times, physicians can be more efficient and patients can have more positive experiences at appointments. Consequently, there is a need for improving patient wait times for medical appointments.

SUMMARY

Provided are various mechanisms and processes relating to an appointment scheduling management system. Although medical scheduling is used as a main example, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the same problems may exist in any appointment-based service practice (including but not limited to dental, veterinary, legal, accounting, counseling, cosmetology, photography or auto repair concerns) and may accordingly be addressed by the subject matter of this disclosure.

In one aspect, which may include at least a portion of the subject matter of any of the preceding and/or following examples and aspects, a system is provided which comprises a first sensor module positioned within a medical examination room. The first sensor module includes a first directional transceiver configured to transmit a first wireless signal directed toward a location within the medical examination room. The location is within a first coverage area of the first wireless signal. The system further comprises a second sensor module positioned within the medical examination room. The second sensor module includes a second directional transceiver configured to transmit a second wireless signal directed toward the location within the medical examination room. The location is within a second coverage area of the second wireless signal.

The first coverage area and the second coverage area overlap at a signal overlap area. The location is within the signal overlap area. The signal overlap area may not extend beyond the medical examination room. The first sensor module and the second sensor module connect to a device within the signal overlap area. The device may correspond to a physician. The duration of the connection between the device and the first and second sensor modules is used to track the presence of the physician in the medical examination room.

The first sensor module may be configured to transmit data packets to the device during the duration of the connection. The data packets may include information identifying the first sensor module and information corresponding to the medical examination room. The second sensor module may be configured to transmit data packets to the device during the duration of the connection. The data packets may include information identifying the second sensor module and information corresponding to the medical examination room. The presence of the physician in the medical examination room may be recorded when the device receives data packets transmitted by the first sensor module and the second sensor module.

The system may further comprise a schedule management server including a processor and memory. The schedule management server may be configured to log a timestamp based on the recorded presence of the physician. The timestamp may indicate the beginning of a first appointment. The schedule management server may be configured to compare the timestamp with scheduling information to predict whether future appointments will be delayed. Scheduling information may include a plurality of scheduled appointments which include the first appointment and a second appointment. The schedule management server may be further configured to notify a holder of the second appointment if the second appointment is determined to be substantially delayed.

The first sensor module and the second sensor module may be configured to receive a plurality of data packets from the device during the duration of the connection. The data packets may include information identifying the corresponding physician.

The first directional transceiver may comprise a plurality of wireless routers. A first router may be configured to receive a wireless network signal corresponding to the network signal of the local area network. A second router may be configured to rebroadcast the wireless network signal as the first wireless signal. In other embodiments, the first directional transceiver may comprise a powerline adapter coupled to the power source via an electrical circuit. The powerline adapter may be configured to receive the network signal of the local area network over the electrical circuit and transmit the network signal as the first wireless signal.

Other implementations of this disclosure include corresponding methods, devices, systems, and computer programs, configured to perform the actions of the described method. For instance, an apparatus is provided comprising a power interface coupled to a power source of a medical examination room. The apparatus further comprises a directional transceiver configured to transmit a wireless signal directed toward a location within the medical examination room. The location is within an effective coverage area of the wireless signal. The effective coverage area may not extend beyond the medical examination room.

The directional transceiver may be tuned to transmit a signal strength corresponding to the size of the medical examination room. The directional transceiver may comprise a panel antenna. The wireless signal may connect to a device within the effective coverage area. The device may correspond to a physician. The connection between the directional transceiver and the device is used to track the presence of the physician in the medical examination room.

The directional transceiver may be configured to transmit a plurality of data packets to the device during the duration of the connection. The data packets may include information identifying the medical examination room. The directional transceiver may be configured to receive a plurality of data packets from the device during the duration of the connection. The data packets may include information identifying the corresponding physician.

The directional transceiver may comprise a plurality of wireless routers. A first router may be configured to receive a wireless network signal corresponding to the network signal of the local area network. A second router may be configured to rebroadcast the wireless network signal as the wireless signal. Alternatively, the directional transceiver may comprise a powerline adapter coupled to the power source via an electrical circuit. The powerline adapter may be configured to receive the network signal of the local area network over the electrical circuit and transmit the network signal as the wireless signal.

In another aspect, which may include at least a portion of the subject matter of any of the preceding and/or following examples and aspects, a method for directional signal fencing is provided. The method comprises transmitting, via a first directional transceiver of a first sensor module, a first wireless signal directed toward a location within a medical examination room. The location is within a first coverage area of the first wireless signal. The method further comprises transmitting, via a second directional transceiver of a second sensor module, a second wireless signal directed toward the location within the medical examination room. The location is within a second coverage area of the second wireless signal.

The method further comprises tuning the signal strength of the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal to correspond to the size and characteristics of the medical examination room. The method further comprises overlapping the first coverage area and the second coverage area at a signal overlap area. The location may be within the signal overlap area. The signal overlap area may not extend beyond the medical examination room.

The method further comprises connecting the first sensor module and the second sensor module to a device within the signal overlap area via the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal. The device may correspond to a physician. The method further comprises tracking the presence of the physician in the medical examination room based on the duration of the connection via the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal.

The first directional transceiver is configured to transmit data packets to the device during the duration of the connection. The data packets include information identifying the first sensor module and information corresponding to the medical examination room. The second directional transceiver is configured to transmit data packets to the device during the duration of the connection. The data packets include information identifying the second sensor module and information corresponding to the medical examination room.

Tracking the presence of the physician may include recording the presence of the physician in the medical examination room when the device has simultaneously received data packets from the first sensor module and the second sensor module.

These and other embodiments are described further below with reference to the figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flow chart illustrating one example of a patient appointment sequence.

FIGS. 2A-2E are diagrams illustrating one example of a system of sensors, identifiers, and their signals.

FIG. 3 is a swim-lane diagram of propagating delays of appointments.

FIGS. 4A-4C are flow sequences illustrating one example of a process for estimating delays for a medical appointment.

FIG. 5 is a swim-lane diagram of compensated delays of appointments.

FIG. 6 is a flow sequence illustrating another example of a process for estimating delays for a medical appointment.

FIGS. 7A-7C illustrate examples of user interface screens for the appointment management system.

FIG. 8 is a swim-lane diagram of multiple entries and exits of the same individuals to and from an examination room in the course of a single appointment.

FIG. 9 is a flow sequence illustrating another example of a process for estimating delays for a medical appointment.

FIGS. 10A-10C are diagrams illustrating one example of a system in which sensors are worn by patients and identifier beacons are worn by employees and placed in service locations.

FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic representation of one example of a database designed to store patient information.

FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic representation of one example of a medical scheduling management system.

FIG. 13 is a diagrammatic representation of another example of a medical scheduling management system.

FIG. 14 illustrates an example network architecture 1400 that can be used in conjunction with the various techniques and embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 15 is a diagrammatic representation of an example of a sensor module for medical scheduling management, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

FIG. 16A illustrates an example wireless signal radiation pattern from a directional antenna, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

FIG. 16B illustrates a patch array antenna that can be used in conjunction with the various techniques and embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 16C-16D illustrate examples of a radiation pattern emitted by a patch array antenna, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

FIGS. 17A-17B illustrate a heat map of wireless signal strength corresponding to a sensor module including a directional transceiver, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

FIG. 17C illustrates an example sensor module system with overlapping signal fields, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

FIGS. 18A-18B illustrates an example method for directional signal fencing, in accordance with one or more embodiments.

FIG. 19 is an example of a computer system that can be used with various embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to some specific examples of the invention including the best modes contemplated by the inventors for carrying out the invention. Examples of these specific embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention is described in conjunction with these specific embodiments, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the invention to the described embodiments. On the contrary, it is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

For example, the techniques of the present invention will be described in the context of particular scheduling mechanisms for medical offices. However, it should be noted that the techniques of the present invention apply to a wide variety of different scheduling mechanisms for a variety of different types of service entities such as dental offices, vision service providers, etc., or other non-medical service entities, such as automotive repair, dog grooming, etc. As another example, the techniques of the present invention will be described in the context of particular wireless signals, such as Wi-Fi. However, it should be noted that the techniques of the present invention apply to a wide variety of different wireless signals, including Bluetooth, infrared, light of sight transmission mechanisms, as well as various other networking protocols.

In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. Particular example embodiments of the present invention may be implemented without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well known process operations have not been described in detail in order not to unnecessarily obscure the present invention.

Various techniques and mechanisms of the present invention will sometimes be described in singular form for clarity. However, it should be noted that some embodiments include multiple iterations of a technique or multiple instantiations of a mechanism unless noted otherwise. For example, a system uses a processor in a variety of contexts. However, it will be appreciated that a system can use multiple processors while remaining within the scope of the present invention unless otherwise noted. Furthermore, the techniques and mechanisms of the present invention will sometimes describe a connection between two entities. It should be noted that a connection between two entities does not necessarily mean a direct, unimpeded connection, as a variety of other entities may reside between the two entities. For example, a processor may be connected to memory, but it will be appreciated that a variety of bridges and controllers may reside between the processor and memory. Consequently, a connection does not necessarily mean a direct, unimpeded connection unless otherwise noted.

Medical appointments are commonly associated with notoriously long wait times. Because patient satisfaction with a physician's care can be heavily influenced by wait times, excessive wait times can lead to negative reviews of a physician's services. By reducing or eliminating patient wait times, physicians can be more efficient and patients can have more positive experiences at medical offices. The same applies to other providers of services by appointment whose schedules may be subject to delays for various reasons.

Accordingly, various embodiments of the present invention address the issue of wait times in medical offices. In some examples, a physician's progress is monitored and any delays in the physician's schedule are detected. Patients are then informed of any delays or schedule changes in real-time. Specifically, a medical scheduling management system tracks the physician's progress and provides notifications, such as through text messages, to upcoming patients. These notifications can let patients know when a physician is running behind and ask them to arrive later than their originally scheduled appointment.

By notifying patients in real-time about schedule changes or fluctuations, the intent is to decrease the amount of time that each patient waits for their appointment to begin. In turn, reducing the wait time should increase patient satisfaction and result in more positive experiences with their physicians. Because reimbursement according to programs like Medicare will be highly dependent on patient satisfaction in the future, the amount physicians will be paid will be closely tied to their patients' satisfaction. By keeping patients informed of schedule status and changes, the system described in various examples of this disclosure has the potential to address one of the biggest problems with patient satisfaction: wait times. If patient satisfaction is increased, then there is a higher likelihood that physicians will be fully reimbursed for their work. In addition, higher patient satisfaction will also lead to more referrals from patients and more business for physicians.

According to various embodiments, physician and other service employee activities, movements, and locations can be automatically or manually detected to allow improved appointment scheduling. For example, appointment start times can be manually or automatically triggered when a physician enters or a room and characteristics of the appointment can be used to determine whether later appointments need to be adjusted.

It is recognized that using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi is effective for roughly tracking medical personnel location. However, signals leak into hallways and into other rooms, and a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi acknowledgment signal received from a medical personnel device such as a smartphone or other location tracker may only be somewhat reliable.

Various embodiments of the present invention recognize that having Bluetooth or Wi-Fi transceivers in each room of a medical office allows medical personnel movement to be more easily tracked. A Bluetooth signal detected at a transceiver in a first medical office will be several times stronger if a doctor is in the first medical office than if the doctor is in a different medical office. Various protocols could be used including various flavors of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, light of sight transmission mechanisms, as well as other networking protocols. According to various embodiments, the transceiver may operate as a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi booster or repeater.

In some embodiments, the transceiver may function as a Wi-Fi extender (also referred to herein as a Wi-Fi booster or repeater). A Wi-Fi extender may be configured to directly and/or wirelessly connect to an existing network signal and rebroadcast the signal wirelessly into the room. In some embodiments, the network signal may be transmitted to the Wi-Fi extender via electrical currents in an electrical circuit. Thus, the same electrical current may provide power to the lighting system, as well as the signal to be broadcasted. In some embodiments, the signal may be broadcasted through lighting elements, such as wire filaments or diodes.

Once a user device has connected with the rebroadcasted signal, information within transmitted data packets may be used to identify the room location and/or duration of the connection. Additionally, and/or alternatively, information within data packets transmitted by a connected user device may be used to identify the individual corresponding to the user device and/or duration of the connection.

In some embodiments, a transceiver may be positioned to be centrally located in an examination room. With a transceiver centrally located in an examination room, a wireless signal with uniform signal strength may be transmitted to cover the examination room. However, directionality of wireless signals may be implemented to provide fencing of such wireless signals by creating an aggregated signal with a signal range of a particular shape corresponding to the room. Thus, a centrally located wireless transceiver may provide a more accurate indicator of when a particular individual is within a particular room.

In some embodiments, a transceiver may be integrated into the lighting system in a room, such as an examination room. In some embodiments, the transceiver is integrated into a light fixture. In this way, the transceiver becomes a centrally located device with access to continuous power. Integrating the transceiver into a lighting system incorporates the transceiver and/or tracking system into an essential structure of the exam room, which may reduce clutter in an exam room in which limited space may already be designated for various tools, furniture, and other essential appliances. In various embodiments, the lighting element of the lighting system, such as wire filaments and/or diodes, may function as an antenna for transmission and reception of wireless signals. Additionally, a transceiver may be integrated into a lighting system which may be adjusted by a medical professional (such as a physician or medical assistant) to illuminate a patient and/or a particular area of the patient. Thus, in various examples, the position of lighting system may closely correspond to the location of a patient, medical professional and/or other individual or user. In this way, the proximity of an individual to lighting system may indicate when an examination has begun or is in progress.

According to various embodiments, a sensor module including a directional transmitter, receiver, and/or transceiver such as a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi transmitter, receiver, and/or transceiver is positioned within a room in a medical office and directed toward a particular location. For example, a transceiver may be positioned at the edge of the room, such as mounted on or near a wall of the room and directed toward the center of the room. As another example, the transceiver may be mounted on the wall at or near a corner of the room, such as where two adjacent walls meet. A transceiver with a directional antenna may radiate and/or receive greater power in specific directions allowing for increased performance and reduced interference from unwanted sources. Directional antennas may provide increased performance over dipole or omnidirectional antennas when greater concentration of radiation in a certain direction is desired.

Directional wireless signals may be used to create fenced areas in which the location of a device, and a corresponding user, may be determined, recorded, and/or tracked. A directional antenna may include a particular radiation pattern which may correspond to the characteristics of signal range of a wireless signal transmitted from such directional antenna, such as the shape, size, strength, etc. For example, an antenna may include a radiation pattern with a particular beam width such as to restrict the shape of a transmitted wireless signal range with particular signal strength within a room, such as an examination room. Reflectors or shielding may be used to reflect or absorb wireless signals transmitted from or to undesired directions. In some embodiments, a transceiver is tuned to transmit at a signal strength corresponding to the size of the medical office. Software applications may assist technicians in tuning the needed strength of the transceivers based on the size and characteristics of the room.

In this way, a particular signal strength of the wireless signal may be constrained or fenced within a particular area in an examination room to create a coverage area. A device may be configured to recognize a signal strength above and/or below a predetermined threshold, which corresponds to the particular signal strength within a coverage area. Once the device enters the area, in which the wireless signal is of appropriate signal strength, a connection may be formed between the device and the sensor module, and data packets may be transmitted and/or received.

In various embodiments, multiple sensor modules may be implemented to create multiple coverage areas that overlap within the room. In some embodiments, the device within the overlap of coverage areas may be configured to simultaneously recognize the respective wireless signals in order connect to the corresponding sensor modules and send and/or transmit data packets. When it is determined that the device has simultaneously connected to a predetermined number of sensor modules, the location of the device (and the corresponding user) may be recorded and tracked. The simultaneous connection of the device to one or more sensor modules may be determined by the device, the sensor module, a server system, and or other component of the location tracking system.

By using a connection to two or more signals transmitted from different sources at an area of overlapping coverage areas, more accurate location tracking may be achieved. In some embodiments, a greater number of sensor modules that a device is simultaneously connected to may result in a more accurate indication that the device is within the overlap of coverage areas. Sensor modules positioned at various locations in an examination room may create multiple coverage areas that overlap only within the room. With a greater number of sensor modules, the overlap of coverage areas is more easily constrained within the room. Additionally, with a greater number of sensor modules and coverage areas, it is less likely that the required common overlap of coverage areas will occur outside of the room.

According to various embodiments, medical personnel are not required to login, check in, or do any extra work to indicate their presence in a room. Instead, medical personnel location is tracked based on the signals received at the various Bluetooth or Wi-Fi transceivers.

This disclosed system may be implemented on a secure network to further provide additional advantages in privacy protections for sensitive private medical information protected under HIPAA. For example, user devices may not be authorized to connect to the secure network. However, multicast data packets may still be sent and/or received between the Wi-Fi extender and user devices to indicate a connection, as well as to identify the corresponding individual and/or room location. Such information may be stored in other portions of a multicast data packet, such as the source IP address or MAC addresses. In this way, the location and identity of an individual, as well as the duration of the connection, may be identified without any access to the secure network by the user device.

Constraining the wireless signal to the size and characteristics of the room may also provide additional advantages in privacy protections for sensitive private medical information protected under the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). For example, the location tracking system may not be subject to unauthorized access by devices not within the examination room, reducing the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive medical information. Furthermore, unique identification codes may be used to determine location, which is further separated from patient appointment information, and further separated from patient medical records.

In particular embodiments, mechanisms for tracking physician or other medical personnel activities, movements, and locations for scheduling appointments are firewalled from systems managing patient medical data. In some examples, different encryption mechanisms are used to encode patient medical data and medical personnel scheduling data so that access to one system does not permit access to another system. In other examples, different networks such as different virtual networks or different physical networks are used to transport the different types of data. According to various embodiments, patient medical data is encrypted during both storage and transmission using a different mechanism from medical personnel tracking data.

With reference to FIG. 1, shown is a flow chart illustrating one example of a patient appointment sequence. As shown, a typical patient appointment sequence 100 begins when a medical assistant (or nurse in some cases), calls a patient at 101 from the waiting room. Various embodiments will be described with reference to particular medical personnel. However, it should be noted that numerous activities can be performed by a variety of different medical professionals such as medical staff, medical assistants, nurses, physician assistants, physicians, residents, etc. A variety of triggers can also be used to initiate scheduling mechanisms, such as when a physician enters the patient's examination room, when a physician leaves the patient's examination room, when a nurse brings a patient to an examination room, etc.

According to various embodiments, a medical assistant then takes the patient to the examination room at 103. During the medical assistant's session with the patient, the medical assistant often collects information such as vitals and other data at 105. This may include aspects such as measuring temperature, blood pressure, and the like. In addition, this process can include weighing and measuring the height of the patient. In some cases, these measurements may be taken in a hallway on the way to the examination room. The medical assistant may also ask the patient questions and take notes. The medical assistant then leaves the examination room and leaves the patient's chart for the physician. The patient is then left alone in the examination room to wait for the physician. This time may also be used for changing into a gown, etc.

Next, the physician enters the examination room at 109. The physician performs the exam at 111, and then exits the examination room at 113. This concludes the process and the patient changes clothes, if appropriate, and collects their belongings before leaving the examination room.

As described, a medical appointment includes various phases that may include wait times. For instance, the patient may wait for a period of time before the medical assistant initially calls the patient at 101. The patient may also wait for a period of time between the time the medical assistant leaves the room at 107 and the time the physician enters the room at 109. Both of these wait times affect patient satisfaction and can lead to complaints relating to patient care. In addition, the amount of time that a physician spends with a particular patient, between blocks 109 and 113, affects whether future appointments that day will be on time or delayed. Accordingly, the timing of various phases of a patient appointment sequence can affect patient satisfaction and determine whether future appointments will be delayed.

FIGS. 2A-2E are diagrams illustrating one example of a system of sensors, identifiers, and their signals.

With reference to FIG. 2A, shown is an example of a partial medical-office floor plan with an example of the system installed. Physician 203, shown in office 230, is the wearer of physician's identifier 231. Physician's identifier (ID) 231 may be an active beacon or a non-powered readable tag such as an RFID or infrared tag. In this example, office 230 does not have any sensors; for example, it may be used for purposes that do not involve the presence of patients.

In some embodiments, only the physician might wear an ID if his or her availability primarily affects a patient's waiting time. If more than one person wears an identifier, each of the identifiers may optionally expose or transmit a unique parameter. The parameter may include the wearer's role (“Doctor”), name (“Dr. Smith”), or any other encodable information linking the detected ID with its wearer. Such identification parameters allow the sensor to record who is entering or exiting a service location as well as when they enter or exit.

In some embodiments, assistant 202 also wears an ID, distinguishable by the sensor(s) as assistant's identifier 221. As illustrated, assistant's identifier 221 may be in position to be detected by door sensor 223 in waiting room 220. Door sensor 223 may activate door alert 227 to keep patients from inadvertently leaving with their IDs. Alternatively, door sensor 223 may simply record entry and exit of ID-wearers through the main office door. Door sensor 223 is logged by remote processor 234, which has a dedicated clock 235 and transmitter/receiver 236. In some embodiments, remote processor 234 is a hub processor for multiple sensors.

Patient 201, who has the current appointment, waits in service location 210, an exam room. Optionally, patient 201 may wear a patient's identifier 211. Patient ID 211 may help locate the patient in the office if there is any confusion about where he or she is. Logging patient ID 211's interactions with door sensor 223 may also isolate the variable of patient arrival time if the sensor data on appointment timing is to be analyzed.

Also in exam room 210 is an exam-room sensor 213. As illustrated, exam-room sensor 213 is part of a self-contained sensor module 205, another optional configuration for location sensors. Also in sensor module 205 are dedicated sensor processor 214, dedicated clock 215, and sensor transmitter/receiver 216.

Delays and other events logged by sensors may trigger alerts on office employees' devices (mobile or not). For practices that emphasize human contact, that notification may be sufficient; an employee would then personally contact a patient with a delayed upcoming appointment and explain options. By contrast, in a practice that prefers to reach patients via technology may use an embodiment that sends scheduling updates to device 206 accessed by upcoming patient 204, a holder of a later appointment.

With reference to FIG. 2B, shown is a diagram of detection of a passive readable ID. ID 231B does not have its own power source. Sensor 213B emits signal 214B, which impinges on ID 231B and is returned as return signal 215B. For example, ID 231B may be an RFID tag that, when within range of sensor 213B, takes power 214B from sensor 213B and uses it to emit its own signal 215B for detection by sensor 213B. In some embodiments, sensor 213B may emit signal 214B as pulses in predetermined intervals to periodically check for a return signal 215B. As long as ID 231B is in range, a return signal 215B will be periodically sent to the sensor 213B. By emitting a signal 214B in interval pulses may result in reduced power used as compared to emitting a continuous signal.

As another example, ID 231B may be a bar or QR code and sensor 213B may include a scanning laser. The laser beam 214B (e.g., an eye-safe low-power infrared laser) is reflected or scattered from a coded pattern (e.g., a barcode or QR code) on ID 231B. The reflected or scattered light goes back to sensor 213B as return signal 215B. In some embodiments, sensor 213B may emit laser beam 214B in predetermined intervals. As long as a return signal 215B is detected by sensor 213B at a regular interval, it can be determined that the ID 231B is within range. By emitting laser beam 214B in predetermined intervals may result in reduced power used as compared to emitting a continuous signal.

With reference to FIG. 2C, shown is a diagram of detection of an emitted signal from an active beacon ID. ID 231C may have its own power source enabling it to independently emit signal 215C toward sensor 213C. In some embodiments, ID 231C may emit signal 215C toward sensor 213C in pulses at predetermined intervals. As long as a signal is detected by sensor 213C at a regular interval, it can be determined that the ID 231C is within range. By emitting a signal in interval pulses may result in reduced power used as compared to emitting a continuous signal.

For example, beacons available at the time of this writing have dimensions on the order of 5-10 cm (2-4″), weights of less than 1 ounce, and line-of-sight ranges of a few centimeters to a few hundred meters, depending partially on whether their signals are Bluetooth™, Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE)™, ANT+™, IEEE 802.22™, IrDA™, NFC™, RFID™, Wi-Fi™, ZigBee™, wireless USB or HART, or some other signal type. Some active beacons have built-in sensors for motion, light, magnetic fields, heat, and other quantities. A beacon with a built-in sensor could potentially function as either a beacon or a sensor, so that only one type of unit needs to be ordered, deployed, and tracked. Some active beacons with built-in processors and memory may be reprogrammed to change their signal characteristics, either to uniquely identify particular beacons or to avoid interference with medical equipment. Such beacons may, for example, be shared by employees whose shifts do not overlap or patients whose appointments do not overlap. In either case, beacon 231C may be reprogrammed between uses to transmit the identifying parameter of the next wearer rather than the preceding one.

In some embodiments, ID 231C may comprise a user device, such as medical professional mobile device 1301, further described below. In some embodiments, sensor 213C may emit signal 215C toward ID user device 231C. Upon detecting signal 215C, device 231C may determine that the ID 231C is within range of sensor 213C. In some embodiments, sensor 213C may emit signal 215C toward ID 231C in pulses at predetermined intervals. As long as a signal is detected by ID 231C at a regular interval, it can be determined that the ID 231C is within range. By emitting a signal in interval pulses may result in reduced power used as compared to emitting a continuous signal.

With reference to FIG. 2D, shown is one type of sensor signal from which entry and exit times may be derived. The sensor emits a signal 209D as long as it detects an ID in range, and emits no signal (at least, no signal associated with that particular ID) while the ID is out of range. The processor will read upward transition 207D as an entry and downward transition 218D as an exit.

In some embodiments, the sensor may emit a pulse at a predetermined interval as long as it detects an ID in range. For example, the sensor may periodically check for an ID at the predetermined interval and emits a pulse if an ID is detected. As long as a pulse is emitted at a regular interval, it can be determined at the processor that the ID is within range. If no ID is detected, then no pulse is emitted and the regular interval of emitted pulses will be broken and it can bet determined that the ID is no longer within range. By emitting a signal in interval pulses may result in reduced power used as compared to emitting a continuous signal.

With reference to FIG. 2E, shown is another type of sensor signal from which entry and exit times may be derived. The sensor sends a first pulse 209E at time 207E when an ID comes within the sensor's range, emits no signal associated with that particular sensor while it remains in range, then emits a second pulse at time 218E in response to the ID moving out of the sensor range. In some embodiments, it may be preferable to conserve beacon power; this schema uses significantly less power than emitting a signal continuously as in FIG. 2D. Distinguishing between entry and exit may be done via pulse length, as here, but alternatively by frequency, number of pulses, attack/release waveform, or the like.

With reference to FIG. 3, shown is a swim-lane diagram of propagating delays in appointments. This figure graphically represents the appointment routine described with reference to FIG. 1. A single sensor in the exam room monitors the progress of the appointment. At time 311, the assistant (long-dash line 302) brings the patient (solid line 301) into the exam room. After some time taking vital signs and the like, assistant 302 leaves the exam room at time 321, leaving patient 301 in the exam room waiting for the physician. The physician (short-dash line 303) enters the exam room at time 331, performs the exam, and leaves at time 341.

Horizontal fine solid lines 311, 321, 331, 341 and 351 represent local times logged when actual entries or exits are detected. Therefore, they coincide with times at which the thicker lines representing the locations of physician 303, assistant 302, and patient 301, cross between the “Out of Exam Room” lane (i.e., out of the detection range of an exam-room sensor) and the “In Exam Room” line (i.e., in the detectable range of the exam-room sensor). By contrast, horizontal fine dotted lines 310, 320, 330, and 340 represent the scheduled entry and exit times. These times are stored in advance when the day's schedule is prepared, then retrieved to calculate a delay after each corresponding actual entry or exit occurs. For example, assistant 302 was scheduled to escort the patient into the exam room at time 310, but did not actually do so until time 311; the appointment is already running behind schedule.

In this example, delays propagate: every subsequent delay is either the same length or longer than the immediately previous delay. Besides computing the delay between the scheduled and actual events, some embodiments of the process compare the delay to a stored threshold 305. Thresholding prevents excess notifications of employee and patient devices when the delay is deemed too small to cause patients of employees to change his or her plans. Digital clocks can measure delays of tiny fractions of a second, but humans, depending on the situation, may consider delays of less than a few minutes—or even delays of less than ½ hour—too small to warrant rescheduling the appointment. Setting a threshold 305 allows employees and upcoming patients to go about their day without being distracted by alerts about delays too small to cause concern.

FIGS. 4A-4C illustrate examples of flow sequences of processes for estimating delays for a medical appointment. The processes shown in each of the figures can be used alone or together, depending on the application. For instance, the process shown in FIG. 4A can be used alone in some examples, whereas, FIGS. 4A-4C can be combined in other examples. In some aspects, the notification system can be viewed as a virtual waiting room. The system tracks when appointments are running late and the system informs an upcoming patient that their appointment is delayed and that they should delay arrival by a certain amount of time.

With reference to FIG. 4A, shown is a flow sequence illustrating one example of a process for estimating delays for a medical appointment. In this example, delays in the schedule are estimated based on the time that a medical assistant (or nurse) begins an appointment with a patient. According to various embodiments, scheduling times, activity and location tracking, event monitoring, and other triggers pertinent to maintaining on-time scheduled appointments are referred to herein as scheduling information. In this process, estimating delays for a medical appointment 400A begins with logging a location and time when a medical assistant begins an appointment with a patient at 401A. Next, this logged location and time is compared to a schedule at 403A. This schedule includes the patients and times for their appointments for the current day. Based on this comparison, a determination is made whether the appointment is on time or substantially delayed at 405A. For instance, if the time that the medical assistant begins the appointment is less than thirty (30) minutes later than the scheduled time for this patient, the appointment can be categorized as being on time and the process ends. If the time that the medical assistant begins the appointment is thirty (30) minutes or more past the scheduled time for this patient, then the appointment can be considered to be substantially delayed and the process continues at 407A. Although thirty (30) minutes is used in this example to determine whether the appointment is on time, any amount of time can be used. In some examples, this amount of time can be set by a particular medical professional based on their preferences and office procedures.

In the present example, if the appointment is delayed thirty (30) or more minutes, a determination is then made whether the appointment is unacceptably behind schedule at 407A. For the sake of this example, two (2) hours is used as a measure of when an appointment is unacceptably behind schedule. Appointments unacceptably behind schedule will not leave enough time for upcoming appointments, and consequently, will require that the upcoming appointments be rescheduled. Although two (2) hours delay is used as the threshold for determining when upcoming appointments need to be rescheduled, any amount of time can be used depending on the particular application of the system. For instance, certain physicians may want to decrease this time based on their allotted examination times or to generally increase patient satisfaction.

In the current example, if the delay is less than two (2) hours, then delays for upcoming appointments are then estimated and these upcoming patients are notified of these delays at 409A. For these upcoming patients, the delay is between thirty (30) minutes and two (2) hours based on the current patient. In some examples, the delay can be propagated through the schedule equally. Specifically, if the current appointment is behind forty (40) minutes, then all of the upcoming appointments can be shifted forty (40) minutes later. However, in some examples, each subsequent appointment can be shifted a certain amount in addition to this forty (40) minutes if the system estimates that the physician will incur additional delays from the subsequent appointments. Once the delay is estimated for the upcoming patients, the patients are then notified.

According to various embodiments, upcoming patients are notified at 409A using their contact information. As described in more detail with regard to FIG. 11, this contact information can be stored in a database and accessed by the notification system. This contact information can be kept separate from patient medical records, in order to avoid any privacy concerns regarding the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) or similar medical privacy laws in other nations. Specifically, the notification system accesses the contact information for upcoming patients, such as a phone number. In some examples, the notification system sends a text message to the upcoming patients notifying them of the expected delay and a later time that they should arrive. For instance, an upcoming patient originally scheduled for a two o'clock appointment may receive the following message: “Dear Jane, your appointment originally scheduled for 4:00 pm today with Dr. Smith is running behind schedule. Could you please arrive at 4:45 pm instead? Sorry for the delay. Thank you for your understanding.” Alternatively, the notification system can send a voicemail or email to upcoming patients, depending on factors such as the patients' contact preferences and the office infrastructure. According to various embodiments, scheduling information such as medical professional location tracking, appointment start triggers, event monitoring, etc., are cryptographically separated from HIPAA information.

According to various embodiments, medical professional activities, movements, and locations can be automatically or manually detected to allow improved appointment scheduling. For example, appointment start times can be manually or automatically triggered when a physician enters or a room and characteristics of the appointment can be used to determine whether later appointments need to be adjusted. In particular embodiments, mechanisms for tracking physician or other medical personnel activities, movements, and locations for scheduling appointments are firewalled from systems managing patient medical data. In some examples, different encryption mechanisms are used to encrypt HIPAA data and scheduling information so that access to one system does not permit access to another system. In other examples, different networks such as different virtual networks or different physical networks are used to transport the different types of data. According to various embodiments, patient medical data is encrypted during both storage and transmission using a different mechanism from medical personnel tracking data.

In the present example, if the delay is two (2) hours or more, then a determination is made whether some or all of the upcoming patients for the day need to be rescheduled. The patients that need rescheduling are then notified at 411A and are offered an opportunity to reschedule their appointments. For instance, if the physician is behind two hours, but can cancel two upcoming appointments and be back on schedule with subsequent patients, these two appointments may need to be rescheduled. In some cases, the schedule can be rearranged to cause as few reschedules as possible. In some examples, the option to reschedule can be offered through the text message, email, or voice message. For instance, an interactive sequence can be presented to the patient to allow them to reschedule immediately. This can provide convenience for both the patients and the front office. Specifically, in some examples, one or more alternative times can be offered to the patient and the patient can select one. Once the patient is notified according to the described process (or if no delay is found), the process either ends or continues as described in FIG. 4B, depending on the desired application of the system.

With reference to FIG. 4B, shown is a flow sequence illustrating another example of a process for estimating delays for a medical appointment. In this example, delays in the schedule are estimated based on the time that a physician begins an appointment with a patient. This process can be used alone in some examples, or it can continue following the process described above with regard to FIG. 4A.

In the present example, estimating delays for a medical appointment 400B begins with logging a location and time when the physician begins an appointment with a patient at 401B. Next, this logged location and time is compared to a schedule at 403B. This schedule includes the patients and times for their appointments for the current day. Based on this comparison, a determination is made whether the appointment is on time or substantially delayed at 405B. For instance, if the time that the physician begins the appointment is less than thirty (30) minutes later than the scheduled time for this patient, the appointment can be categorized as being on time and the process ends. If the time that the physician begins the appointment is thirty (30) minutes or more past the scheduled time for this patient, then the appointment can be considered to be substantially delayed and the process continues at 407B. Although thirty (30) minutes is used in this example to determine whether the appointment is on time, any amount of time can be used. In some examples, this amount of time can be set by a particular medical professional based on their preferences and office procedures.

In the present example, if the appointment is delayed thirty (30) or more minutes, a determination is then made whether the appointment is unacceptably behind schedule at 407B. For the sake of this example, two (2) hours is used as a measure of when an appointment is unacceptably behind schedule. Appointments unacceptably behind schedule will not leave enough time for upcoming appointments, and consequently, will require that the upcoming appointments be rescheduled. Although two (2) hours delay is used as the threshold for determining when upcoming appointments need to be rescheduled in the present example, any amount of time can be used depending on the particular application of the system. For instance, certain physicians may want to decrease this time based on their allotted examination times or to generally increase patient satisfaction.

In this example, if the delay is less than two (2) hours, then delays for upcoming appointments are then estimated and these upcoming patients are notified of these delays at 409B. For these upcoming patients, the delay is between thirty (30) minutes and two (2) hours based on the current patient. In some examples, the delay can be propagated through the schedule equally. Specifically, if the current appointment is behind forty (40) minutes, then all of the upcoming appointments can be shifted forty (40) minutes later. However, in some examples, each subsequent appointment can be shifted a certain amount in addition to this forty (40) minutes if the system estimates that the physician will incur additional delays from the subsequent appointments. Once the delay is estimated for the upcoming patients, the patients are then notified. In some examples, if multiple factors are used to determine schedule delays, such as the time that the medical assistant begins the appointment and the time that the physician begins the appointment, then only one notification may be provided. For instance, a step can be included that determines whether a notification has already been sent to this patient, and if so, then an additional notification will not be sent. In other examples, updates to this notification with current waiting times and real-time appointment adjustments can be made as updated delays are predicted.

According to various embodiments, upcoming patients are notified at 409 using their contact information. As described in more detail with regard to FIG. 11, this contact information can be stored in a database and accessed by the notification system. This contact information can be kept separate from patient medical records, in order to avoid any privacy concerns regarding the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Specifically, the notification system accesses the contact information for upcoming patients, such as a phone number. In some examples, the notification system sends a text message to the upcoming patients notifying them of the expected delay and a later time that they should arrive. For instance, a patient later in the day scheduled for a two o'clock appointment may receive the following message: “Dear Jane, your appointment originally scheduled for 2:00 pm today with Dr. Smith is running behind schedule. Could you please arrive at 2:45 pm instead? Sorry for the delay. Thank you for your understanding.” Alternatively, the notification system can send a voicemail or email to upcoming patients, depending on factors such as the patients' contact preferences and the office infrastructure.

In the present example, if the delay is two (2) hours or more, then a determination is made whether some or all of the upcoming patients for the day need to be rescheduled. The patients that need rescheduling are then notified at 411B and are offered an opportunity to reschedule their appointments. For instance, if the physician is behind two hours, but can cancel two upcoming appointments and be back on schedule with subsequent patients, these two appointments may need to be rescheduled. In some cases, the schedule can be rearranged to cause as few reschedules as possible. In some examples, the option to reschedule can be offered through the text message, email, or voice message. For instance, an interactive sequence can be presented to the patient to allow them to reschedule immediately. This can provide convenience for both the patients and the front office. Specifically, in some examples, one or more alternative times can be offered to the patient and the patient can select one. Once the patient is notified according to the process (or if no delay is found), the process either ends or continues as described in FIG. 4C, depending on the desired application of the system.

In the present example, although both a location and time are logged when the physician begins the appointment, it should be noted that in some embodiments, the location need not be logged. For instance, if the patient and time are adequately identified and logged, then the location does not need to be logged in order to compare the actual appointment time with the scheduled appointment time. According to various examples, the location log can be used to determine when a physician is seeing a particular patient. Specifically, in cases where location logging is automated, such as with sensors, GPS, or the like, then the location can provide information about which patient a physician is currently seeing.

With reference to FIG. 4C, shown is a flow sequence illustrating another example of a process for estimating delays for a medical appointment. In this example, delays in the schedule are estimated based on the time that a physician ends an appointment with a patient. This process can be used alone in some examples, or it can continue following the process described above with regard to FIGS. 4A and/or 4B.

In the present example, estimating delays for a medical appointment 400C begins with logging a location and time when the physician ends an appointment with a patient at 401C. Next, this logged location and time is compared to a schedule at 403C. This schedule includes the patients and times for their appointments for the current day. Based on this comparison, a determination is made whether the appointment is on time or substantially delayed at 405C. For instance, if the time that the physician ends the appointment is less than thirty (30) minutes later than the scheduled time for this patient plus the allotted duration of this type of appointment, the appointment can be categorized as being on time and the process ends. If the time that the physician ends the appointment is thirty (30) minutes or more past the scheduled time for this patient plus the allotted duration of this type of appointment, then the appointment can be considered to be substantially delayed and the process continues at 407C. Although thirty (30) minutes is used in this example to determine whether the appointment is on time, any amount of time can be used. In some examples, this amount of time can be set by a particular medical professional based on their preferences and office procedures.

In the present example, if the appointment is delayed thirty (30) or more minutes, a determination is then made whether the appointment is unacceptably behind schedule at 407C. For the sake of this example, two (2) hours is used as a measure of when an appointment is unacceptably behind schedule. Appointments unacceptably behind schedule will not leave enough time for upcoming appointments, and consequently, will require that the upcoming appointments be rescheduled. Although two (2) hours delay is used as the threshold for determining when upcoming appointments need to be rescheduled in the present example, any amount of time can be used depending on the particular application of the system. For instance, certain physicians may want to decrease this time based on their allotted examination times or to generally increase patient satisfaction.

In this example, if the delay is less than two (2) hours, then delays for upcoming appointments are then estimated and these upcoming patients are notified of these delays at 409C. For these upcoming patients, the delay is between thirty (30) minutes and two (2) hours based on the current patient. In some examples, the delay can be propagated through the schedule equally. Specifically, if the current appointment is behind forty (40) minutes, then all of the upcoming appointments can be shifted forty (40) minutes later. However, in some examples, each subsequent appointment can be shifted a certain amount in addition to this forty (40) minutes if the system estimates that the physician will incur additional delays from the subsequent appointments. Once the delay is estimated for the upcoming patients, the patients are then notified. In some examples, if multiple factors are used to determine schedule delays, such as the time that the medical assistant begins the appointment and/or the time that the physician begins the appointment, then only one notification may be provided. For instance, a step can be included that determines whether a notification has already been sent to this patient, and if so, then an additional notification will not be sent. In other examples, updates to this notification with current waiting times and real-time appointment adjustments can be made as updated delays are predicted.

According to various embodiments, upcoming patients are notified at 409C using their contact information. As described in more detail with regard to FIG. 11, this contact information can be stored in a database and accessed by the notification system. This contact information can be kept separate from patient medical records, in order to avoid any privacy concerns regarding the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Specifically, the notification system accesses the contact information for upcoming patients, such as a phone number. In some examples, the notification system sends a text message to the upcoming patients notifying them of the expected delay and a later time that they should arrive. For instance, an upcoming patient scheduled for a two o'clock appointment may receive the following message: “Dear Jane, your appointment originally scheduled for 2:00 pm today with Dr. Smith is running behind schedule. Could you please arrive at 2:45 pm instead? Sorry for the delay. Thank you for your understanding.” Alternatively, the notification system can send a voicemail or email to upcoming patients, depending on factors such as the patients' contact preferences and the office infrastructure.

In the present example, if the delay is two (2) hours or more, then a determination is made whether some or all of the upcoming patients for the day need to be rescheduled. The patients that need rescheduling are then notified at 411C and are offered an opportunity to reschedule their appointments. For instance, if the physician is behind two hours, but can cancel two upcoming appointments and be back on schedule with subsequent patients, these two appointments may need to be rescheduled. In some cases, the schedule can be rearranged to cause as few reschedules as possible. In some examples, the option to reschedule can be offered through a text message, email, voice message, or push notification. For instance, an interactive sequence can be presented to the patient to allow them to reschedule immediately. This can provide convenience for both the patients and the front office. Specifically, in some examples, one or more alternative empty appointment time slots can be offered to the patient and the patient can select one. Once the patient is notified according to the process described (or if no delay is found), the process ends.

In the present example, although both a location and time are logged when the physician ends the appointment, it should be noted that in some embodiments, the location need not be logged. For instance, if the patient and time are adequately identified and logged, then the location does not need to be logged in order to compare the actual appointment time with the scheduled appointment time. According to various examples, the location log can be used to determine when a physician is seeing a particular patient. Specifically, in cases where location logging is automated, such as with sensors, GPS, or the like, then the location can provide information about which patient a physician is currently seeing.

In some embodiments, multiple processes described with regard to FIGS. 4A-4C can be used to provide feedback to the physician about schedule efficiencies or inefficiencies. For instance, data can be gathered and statistics can be generated for a particular day showing how many appointments were delayed, by how much, and whether the delays were caused by medical assistant delay, physician delay, or appointments that ran longer than the allotted time for the type of exam that was performed. In addition, statistics can be provided over periods of times, from days to months to years, depending on the time specified. In some examples, graphs and/or charts can be provided that show trends. Furthermore, suggestions can be provided based on the data provided, such as whether actual examination times are exceeding the allotted times, and by how much. Percentages can be provided showing how much overrun is occurring and how often. Suggestions such as extending the allotted times for examinations or spacing appointments further apart may be provided.

With reference to FIG. 5, shown is a swim-lane diagram of compensated delays in appointments. FIG. 3, discussed above, illustrated propagating delays; for successive entries or exits, the delay either remained constant or increased. Delays may not always propagate, however; a delay may be “made up” if a process takes less than the expected time (e.g., a patient arrives with a questionnaire already filled out) or is cancelled altogether (e.g., if a patient “no-shows” or reschedules only a few hours before the appointment). Assistant 502 is scheduled to bring patient 501 to the exam room.at time 510, but does not actually do so until later time 511; the appointment is running behind schedule. After some time taking vital signs and the like, assistant 502 is scheduled to leave the exam room at time 520, but does so at earlier time 521 so that now the appointment is ahead of schedule. Physician 503 is scheduled to enter the exam room at time 530, but does not do so until later time 531, so that the appointment is behind schedule again. However, physician 503 leaves the exam room at time 341, which is equal to scheduled time 540, putting the appointment back on schedule.

The following appointment (and, barring further delays, the appointments following it) may actually start on time. Meanwhile, though, a delay message may have been transmitted at time 511 (or possibly not if this small delay was sub-threshold. Depending on the embodiment, a “back-on-schedule” notification might have been transmitted at time 521, or the system may be programmed to ignore on-schedule events. Another delay message may have been transmitted at time 531 (a longer delay likely to exceed the threshold) and perhaps one or more patients decided to reschedule, but at time 541 there was no longer a delay, therefore no actual need to incur the added overhead of the rescheduling.

Identification of gating events can smooth out such fluctuations in expected delays. After leaving the exam room at time 541, physician 503 is now free to see another patient (or will be after an allotted time to “wrap up” the current appointment). Thus the physician's exit from the exam room at time 541 may be the “gating event” that determines the end of the appointment, making it possible to estimate the beginning of the next appointment. Therefore, in some embodiments the system may log all entries and exits, with or without comparing the logged time with the scheduled time, but it may refrain from transmitting delay messages except when a gating event occurs.

With reference to FIG. 6, shown is a flow diagram of an operation that may be implemented as software. Operation 600 may include detecting a position or motion of a first identifier within a sensor range, wherein the sensor range at least partially covers a first service location. A change in the sensor signal, which may include being turned on or off, triggers operations 601 a-c, which may include logging a local time 601 a, optionally logging a sensor location 601 b (e.g., if there are multiple sensors to distinguish or the sensor moves from one service location to another), and logging a first identifying parameter 601 c of the first identifier (to identify the particular wearer) in response to an entry of the first identifier into the sensor range or an exit of the first identifier out of the sensor range.

Optional decision 610 may include determining whether the logged entry or exit is a gating event. If so, or if the gating-event determination is omitted, operation 611 may include retrieving a scheduled time of the entry or the exit during a first appointment and subtracting the first scheduled time from the local time to estimate a first delay.

Optional decision 620 may include comparing the first delay to a threshold. If the first delay is greater than the threshold, operation 621 may include estimating the delay of upcoming patients' appointments by adding the first delay to the second scheduled time to compute the expected time of the delayed appointment. Operation 623 may include notifying a first device that the second appointment will be delayed until the expected time and optionally display a selectable “keep” option and a selectable list of open appointment slots on the first device after the notifying. The device may be an employee device, an upcoming patient's device, or both. Selection may be done by typing, touching, clicking, voice, or any other suitable way to choose from a set of options using the device.

Optional decision 630 may calculate whether the delayed time of the day's last appointment has become so late that the office will close before the appointment is completed. If so, the holder of that appointment may be offered rescheduling options but no “keep” option in operation 631. Operation 625 updates the stored schedule for the rest of the day to account for the currently expected delay. The system may respond to an upcoming patient's selection of a “keep” option by replacing the patient's current scheduled time with the expected time of the delayed appointment.

Decision 640 determines whether an upcoming patient has rescheduled and, if so, executes an updating operation 625 replacing the patient's currently scheduled appointment with the rescheduled appointment. In some embodiments, this step may be executed any time any patient requests a reschedule, rather than only in response to a delay notification. Finally, decision 650 determines whether the last appointment of the day has been finished; if not, operation 612 returns the system to monitoring the sensor(s) whenever there is no reason for a delay notification, such as when the most recent event was not a gating event per decision 610 or was not an above-threshold delay per decision 620. If it is determined to be the last appointment at decision 650, the system responds by stopping the process, ceasing to monitor the sensor(s)

FIGS. 7A-7C illustrate examples of delay notifications displayed on device screens. Non-display notifications such as voice-mails are also within the scope of some embodiments.

With reference to FIG. 7A, shown is a cell phone displaying a text message. Most cell phones 701 are able to display a text message 703, which may include details 705 of open appointment slots for rescheduling and enable the user to communicate a choice using the keypad.

With reference to FIG. 7B, shown is a smartphone displaying a push notification from an installed application (“app”). A smartphone 711 may also receive voicemail and text messages, but may include the additional possibilities of push notifications 713 or dedicated apps with graphic user interfaces (GUIs). A GUI may display “Keep” option 715 and open slots 717 as buttons or other clickable or touchable features.

With reference to FIG. 7C, shown is a desktop computer displaying an alert. As well as upcoming patients, employees of the medical office can also benefit from delay notifications by organizing their tasks and breaks around the times when the appointments are likely to begin and end, rather than when the appointments were originally intended to begin and end.

With reference to FIG. 8, shown is a swim-lane diagram of multiple entries and exits of participants in a single appointment. Previously it was proposed that the physician's exit from the exam room might be the best indicator of the appointment being over, and therefore a good choice of a gating event. However, if the physician exits the exam room more than once during a single appointment, only the last such exit is preferably used to calculate the delay.

For example, physician 803 exits the exam room at time 842, but only temporarily. Physician 803 may need to answer an urgent question, fetch an injectable, or the like. Shortly thereafter, physician 803 re-enters the exam room, finishes his or her part of the appointment, and re-exits at time 841. Meanwhile, the sensor detects exit 842 and may compute and communicate a delay based on exit time 842. Upon detecting the second exit 841, the system may compare the local time with the NEXT scheduled physician-exit time during the following appointment, which will yield an inaccurate result.

Likewise, assistant 802 may enter the exam room at time 811, collect preliminary information for the physician, and leave at time 821, then enter again to answer logistics questions for an upcoming procedure after the physician exits, and exit again at time 822.

If this happens in some types of appointments but not in others, some systems might choose the wrong scheduled time to compare to the second exit.

Patient 801's exit from the exam room might be a better choice of gating item; the sensor would detect patient 801's exit at time 861, then retrieve the log entry for the immediately preceding physician 803 exit at time 841 and calculate the delay from it. In this process, the patient's exit is a “confirming event” signaling that the appointment is over and the physician's most recent exit is therefore the gating event. However, even patient 801 does not necessarily stay in the exam room for the entire appointment. For example, the patient may exit at time 862 to give a sample or answer an administrative question, and then return to the appointment.

Looking further ahead, patient 801's appointment must definitely be over when the next patient 811 enters the exam room at time 871. Therefore, a system can avoid being “confused” by multiple entries and exits of participants in a single appointment by using the entry of the next patient as a confirming event, retrieving the most recent physician exit before time 871, and using it to calculate the delay. This prevents patient 811 from getting updates on delays generated during patient 801's appointment. However, because those updates would likely have been excessively short notice for patient 811 to change plans, the impact is minimal.

With reference to FIG. 9, shown is a flow diagram of a process accommodating multiple entries and exits. An appointment begins with operation 900 with a first patient entering the exam room. Operation 901 may include logging entries and exits detected by the sensor.

After each logging operation, the system decides at decision 910 whether the most recent event confirms that the first patient's appointment has ended. In this example, the confirming event is the entry of a second patient into the exam room. If not, the system may return to operation 910 of monitoring and logging, rather than performing delay calculations. If so, operation 911 may include identifying the most recent event as a confirming event; therefore the last previous physician exit was the gating event. Operation 913 may include retrieving the local time and the scheduled time of the gating event.

Decision 920 determines whether the difference between the gating event's local time and its corresponding scheduled time is greater than a stored threshold. If not, the system may return to operation 910 of monitoring and logging, rather than performing delay calculations. If so, operation 921 may include estimating a delay for upcoming appointments, followed by operation 923 of notifying devices, offering reschedule options, and updating the schedule.

FIGS. 10A-10C illustrate an embodiment in which a patient carries a sensor and the service locations, physicians, and assistants carry active beacons. This type of system tracks the service locations that a patient visits—helpful in practices where patients spend time in treatment rooms, sample collection rooms, the physician's office or conference room, or elsewhere besides an exam room. The system also tracks the time that physicians and assistants spend in proximity to the patient, which may be helpful in settings where patients are examined, tested, or treated in cubicles or bays or at counters that are small and close together with partial dividing walls or none at all.

With reference to FIG. 10A, shown is an example of a medical office floor plan. Optionally, when patient 1001 checks in at reception 1010, office staff member 1006 may use machine 1016 to program an identifying parameter into sensor 1013 that is unique to the patient or the appointment. Sensor 1013 has a sensor range 1043 which in some embodiments may be only 1-2 m (3-6′) and a built-in clock 1015 or access to some other clock signal.

Assistant 1002 wears beacon 1021 emitting signal 1026, which is detected by sensor 1013 when assistant 1002 escorts patient 1001 to exam room 1020. In some embodiments, signal 1026 may include an identification parameter associates with the assistant wearing it. When patient 1001 enters exam room 1020, sensor 1013 detects exam-room beacon signal 1024 from exam-room location beacon 1022. Signal 1024 may also include an exam-room identification parameter. When assistant 1002 exits the exam room, sensor 1013 stops detecting signal 1026 but continues detecting signal 1024 because patient 1001 is still in exam room 1020.

Meanwhile, physician 1003 in office 1030 wears physician's beacon 1031 transmitting physician's beacon signal 1033 while office location beacon 1023 transmits office beacon signal 1034. When physician 1003 enters exam room 1020, sensor 1013 will begin to detect physician's beacon signal 1033. If physician 1003 then escorts patient 1001 into office 1030 for a conference, sensor 1013 will stop detecting exam-room beacon signal 1024 and begin detecting office beacon signal 1034.

In some embodiments, patient 1001 may return sensor 1013 to member of office staff 1006 when the appointment ends. The timing information logged by sensor 1013 may be uploaded to storage via machine 1016 or some other device. Note that this approach may obviate the need for gating-even and confirming-event capture and the accompanying calculations; when the patient returns sensor 1013, the appointment may be over by definition. Optionally, delay data over a span of time such as a week or a month may be analyzed to diagnose any frequent causes of delay.

With reference to FIG. 10B, shown is a display interface 1051 for programming a patient sensor at the beginning of an appointment. The patient's record number, name, and/or appointment time may be used to identify the log entries uploaded later. The patient arrival time may help derive how many and what lengths of delays are generated when patients arrive late.

With reference to FIG. 10C, shown is a display interface 1052 for uploading data on patient entry and exit times a patient sensor at the beginning of an appointment. Any or all of identifying parameters 1054 may be used to label the data in a database.

With reference to FIG. 11, shown is a diagrammatic representation of one example of a database designed to store patient information. As described above with regard to FIGS. 4A-4C, contact information for patients is retrieved by the notification system when upcoming patients are to be notified of a delay in their appointment times. However, in order to avoid any privacy concerns regarding HIPAA, the notification system is limited to retrieving contact information that is not related to patient-sensitive information.

In the present embodiment, database 1100 includes patient appointment information 1101 and patient medical records 1115. Patient appointment information 1101 includes information for numerous patients such as name 1103, date of birth 1105, account number 1107, appointment time(s) 1109, and contact information 1111. The contact information 1111 can include information such as phone number(s) (for text and/or voicemail), email address, mailing address, and residence address. Additional or different information can be included, depending on the intended use of the database. However, patient appointment information is intended to include information that can be accessed by a scheduling or front office, without concerns about privacy under HIPAA. For example, patient appointment information 1101 may be accessed by an app 1135 on office-employee devices over a network 1137.

In some embodiments, appointment change status information 1141 may be stored in the non-HIPAA portion of the same database 1100. Appointment change status information 1141 may include, without limitation, lookup table 1143 of the latest appointment times held by each patient; current delay information 1145 collected by sensors; available open slots 1147 for patients who opt to reschedule their appointments; and staff and/or helpdesk contact info 1149 for patients who need help with appointment schedule issues. Appointment change status information 1141 may be accessed by an app 1155 on patients' devices over a network 1157, which may or may not be the same as network 1137. In some embodiments, patients' option choices (e.g., to keep a delayed appointment or to reschedule) are received in database 1100 over network 1157.

In the present example, patient medical records 1115 are protected by a firewall 1102 that prevents inadvertent or unauthorized access to patient information protected under HIPAA. The patient medical records 1115 include information for numerous patients such as diagnoses 1117, medications 1119, physician's notes 1121, confidential communications 1123, and lab results 1125. Additional or different information can be included depending on the preferences of the physician or practice. The patient medical records 1115 may include sensitive information that is protected under HIPAA privacy laws. Accordingly, this information must be handled carefully and access to it must be restricted to authorized people and systems.

According to various embodiments described herein, a medical scheduling management system notifies upcoming patients of a delay in their appointment times by accessing patient appointment information such as name 1103, appointment time 1109, and contact information 1111. In some examples, the notification system is implemented as an app for mobile devices. This app 1135 retrieves 1137 patient appointment information to predict schedule delays, such as by retrieving appointment times 1109 and comparing these appointment times 1109 to real-time appointment progress for a particular physician. In addition, this app 1135 retrieves contact information 1111 and names 1103 for patients that are to be notified of upcoming schedule delays. As indicated in the figure, the app 1135 does not have access to patient medical records 1115, and is prevented from accessing these patient medical records 1115 by firewall 1102. Although this example is described in the context of an app that can be implemented on one or more smartphones, mobile devices, etc., it should be recognized that this notification system can be implemented over any computer system. For instance, an office-based computer system can be updated manually by a medical assistant or other personnel to reflect current appointment times and the system can operate without any mobile devices.

As described in previous examples, a medical scheduling management system can be used to predict delays for upcoming appointments and notify upcoming patients of these delays. The medical scheduling management system can be implemented in various ways. FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate two examples of configurations for medical scheduling management systems. It should be noted that although two particular examples are described, modifications and adjustments can be made within the scope of this disclosure.

With reference to FIG. 12, shown is a diagrammatic representation of one example of a medical scheduling management system. The medical scheduling management system 1200 shown includes identifier 1250, location sensor 1201, clock 1202, memory 1203, medical schedule processor 1205, delay log interface 1207, employee interface 1213, employee device(s) 1209, and patient notification interface 1211. The location sensor 1201 is designed to detect when a medical professional enters an examination room to conduct an examination of a particular patient. Clock 1202 tracks the local time that is captured by processor 1205 when sensor 1202 detects the appearance or disappearance of an identifier. This location sensor 1201 can be implemented in numerous ways. In one example, a medical professional wears an identifier 1250 that is detectable in different areas of the office. The system is able to detect when identifier 1250, such as an RFID, etc. is in proximity to the location sensor. In some applications, there may be multiple identifiers simultaneously detected by a sensor. The processor, by extracting identifying parameter 1251, can discern whose identifier was detected by sensor 1201. In some applications, there may be multiple location sensors in the system.

In other examples, the location sensor 1201 represents an input interface used by a medical assistant or other personnel to enter the location of the medical professional at a particular time. Specifically, location and time information can be entered manually into the system. In some instances, the location sensor 1201 represents an input interface used by the medical professional to indicate when a particular appointment has started. Specifically, location and time information can be entered manually into the system. For instance, the next scheduled appointment may pop up or be otherwise selectable on a mobile device, and when the medical professional selects a button, the time is logged and this time is compared with the scheduled time. In yet other embodiments, the medical scheduling management system 1200 can be implemented as an app on a mobile device, such as a smartphone. In these examples, the location sensor 1201 can implement technologies such as GPS or other location sensing systems. In some examples, the location sensor 1201 can be omitted, such as when only the patients and times are logged.

In the present embodiment, the medical schedule processor 1205 is designed to log the time when a medical professional enters an examination room for a particular appointment and compare this time with a schedule to predict whether future appointments in the schedule will be delayed. The schedule typically includes patients and times for appointments scheduled on a particular day. According to various examples, the schedule may not include any HIPAA information. The memory 1203 is used to store data, which may include the present day's schedule 1223 and stored thresholds 1233, store program instructions, and maintain a local side cache. The program instructions may control the operation of an operating system and/or one or more applications, for example. In addition, display 1209 is used to allow a user to interact with the system, such as through a monitor, screen, etc.

In the present embodiment, the notification interface 1211 is used to notify upcoming patients if their appointments will be substantially delayed, as described in more detail with regard to FIGS. 4A-4C above. This notification interface 1211 is also designed to notify upcoming patients if their appointments need to be rescheduled. In some examples, the notification interface 1211 is also designed to provide an option for these patients to reschedule their appointments. As described above, the notification interface 1211 contacts patient device 1217 using patient contact information such as a phone number, email, etc. In some examples, the notification interface 1211 notifies a patient via a text message. In other examples, the notification interface 1211 notifies a patient via a voicemail or email. Other notification modes can also be used, depending on the preferences of the patient and medical office.

In the present example, delay log interface 1207 allows data such as real-time location and time information for appointments in-progress to be transmitted to an appointment delay log 1219. This appointment delay log 1219 is located in a separate location that may be accessed by other devices. For instance, if the medical scheduling management system 1200 is implemented as an app on a mobile device, the appointment delay log 1219 may include an office computer that is accessible to office staff and personnel. In other examples, the appointment delay log 1219 can be located on a cloud drive. However, the delay log interface 1207 and appointment delay log 1219 can be omitted in some applications, depending on the needs of the practice.

As shown in the present embodiment, the medical scheduling management system 1200 can interact with a patient appointment information database 1215, such as the one shown and described with regard to FIG. 11. Patient appointment information database 1215 may include patient contact information 1225 and open appointment slots 1235. In particular, the medical scheduling management system 1200 accesses the patient appointment information database 1215 when predicting delays, when notifying upcoming patients by messaging their devices such as patient device 1217, and when notifying medical-office employees through employee interface 1213 via employee devices 1209. As mentioned with regard to FIG. 11, the information accessible in the patient appointment information database 1215 is not data that is protected under HIPAA.

With reference to FIG. 13, shown is a diagrammatic representation of another example of a medical scheduling management system. In this example, the medical scheduling management system 1300 includes a medical scheduling management hub 1315 and one or more medical professional mobile devices 1301. The medical professional mobile device 1301 can be implemented as a mobile device, such as a smart phone, tablet, etc. In other examples, this mobile device 1301 can be implemented as a wearable device such as a bracelet, fob, charm, clip, etc. In some embodiments, the medical professional mobile device 1301 is a specialized device with added security and firewall capabilities to separate information that is protected under HIPAA, further described with reference to FIG. 11.

As shown, the medical scheduling management hub 1315 is implemented on a computer such as a mobile device, office computer, server, etc. This serves as a “home base” for the system. In some examples, this hub 1315 is implemented on a central office computer or on the cloud. In the present example, the medical professional mobile device 1301 includes a location sensor 1303, memory 1305, processor 1307, display 1309, and notification hub interface 1311. The location sensor 1303 is designed to detect when a medical professional enters an examination room to conduct an examination of a particular patient. This location sensor 1303 can be implemented in numerous ways. In one example, the location sensor is able to identify when the medical professional is in different areas of the office. In these examples, the location sensor 1303 can implement technologies such as GPS, RFID, Bluetooth, triangulation mechanisms, cameras, or other location sensing systems. In other examples, the location sensor 1303 represents an input interface used by the medical professional to indicate when a particular appointment has started. Specifically, location and time information can be entered manually into the system. For instance, the next scheduled appointment may pop up or be otherwise selectable the mobile device 1301, and when the medical professional selects a button, the time is logged and this time is compared with the scheduled time. In some embodiments, the location sensor 1303 can be omitted, such as when only patient and time information are logged.

In the present example, the medical professional mobile device 1301 includes memory 1305, which is used to store data and program instructions and maintain a local side cache. The program instructions may control the operation of an operating system and/or one or more applications, for example. In some examples, the size of the memory 1305 may be limited, as when most of the processing and storage of data is performed at the medical scheduling management hub 1315. In addition, the processor 1307 may include limited processing of the data collected. For instance, the data collected may include the times and locations of particular appointments, and the processor can be used to format the information before sending it to the medical scheduling management hub 1315. The limited memory 1305 and processor 1307 sizes and capabilities may be appropriate especially in cases when the medical professional mobile device 1301 is implemented as a wearable because the components can be smaller and more conveniently designed into a smaller casing to be comfortably worn. In the present example, display 1309 is used to allow the medical professional to interact with the system, such as through a screen, touch screen, etc. As described above, the medical professional may input data through this display 1309 and/or view options through the display.

In the present example, the medical professional mobile device 1301 also includes a notification hub interface 1311. This notification hub interface 1311 is used to communicate with the medical scheduling management hub 1315. In particular, data regarding real-time appointment start times are sent via the notification hub interface 1311 to the medical scheduling management hub 1315 via medical professional device interface 1321. In some examples, the medical professional device interface 1321 is used to send messages to the medical professional mobile device 1301 via the notification hub interface 1311, such as “Has the Smith 1:10 pm appointment begun?”

In the present embodiment, the medical scheduling management hub includes a medical schedule processor 1317 designed to log the time when a medical professional enters an examination room for a particular appointment and compare this time with a schedule to predict whether future appointments in the schedule will be delayed. The schedule typically includes patients and times for appointments scheduled on a particular day. According to various examples, the schedule does not include any HIPAA information. The memory 1319 is used to store data and program instructions and maintain a local side cache. The program instructions may control the operation of an operating system and/or one or more applications, for example. In addition, display 1323 is used to allow a user to interact with the system, such as through a monitor, screen, etc.

In the present embodiment, the patient notification interface 1325 is used to notify upcoming patients if their appointments will be substantially delayed, as described in more detail with regard to FIGS. 4A-4C above. This notification interface 1325 is also designed to notify upcoming patients if their appointments need to be rescheduled. In some examples, the notification interface 1325 is also designed to provide an option for these patients to reschedule their appointments. As described above, the notification interface 1325 contacts a patient 1345 using patient contact information such as a phone number, email, etc. In some examples, the notification interface 1325 notifies a patient via a text message. In other examples, the notification interface 1325 notifies a patient via a voicemail or email. Other notification modes can also be used, depending on the preferences of the patient and medical office.

As shown in the present embodiment, the medical scheduling management hub 1315 interacts with a patient appointment information database 1335, such as the one shown and described with regard to FIG. 11. In particular, the medical scheduling management hub 1315 accesses the patient appointment information database 1335 when predicting delays and when notifying upcoming patients, such as patient 1345. As mentioned with regard to FIG. 11, the information accessible in the patient appointment information database 1335 is not data that is protected under HIPAA.

Although FIGS. 12 and 13 describe particular configurations of medical scheduling management systems, it should be recognized that various configurations can be constructed within the scope of this disclosure. In addition, the system can be used to provide feedback to the physician and/or practice to allow them to generate physician/examination efficiency reports in some examples. For instance, the system can generate reports indicating the percentage of appointments that were delayed and by how much they were delayed. In some cases, the reports can be customizable to indicate factors such as whether certain types of appointments are delayed more often, times of day when more appointments are delayed, days of the week or month when appointments are delayed more often, etc. This feedback can be used by the physician to improve their care and service and become more efficient in their practice. This can lead to more satisfied patients, a more pleasant experience for the patients and medical professionals, and a higher rate of return for the physician and practice.

These and other configurations of medical scheduling management systems are further described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/794,851 titled MEDICAL SCHEDULING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM by Bullington et al., filed on Jul. 9, 2015; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/794,852 titled PHYSICIAN EFFICIENCY ANALYSIS SYSTEM by Bullington et al., filed on Jul. 9, 2015; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/794,854 titled VIRTUAL WAITING ROOM FOR MEDICAL APPOINTMENTS by Bullington et al., filed on Jul. 9, 2015; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/794,857 titled MEDICAL APPOINTMENT PROGRESS TRACKING by Bullington et al., filed on Jul. 9, 2015; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/333,087 titled APPOINTMENT SCHEDULING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM by Bullington et al., filed on Oct. 24, 2016. The above mentioned applications are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety and for all purposes.

In various embodiments, one or more components of a medical scheduling management system, such as medical scheduling management system 1200, may be located within a single apparatus, such as sensor module 205. In some embodiments, various components of a medical scheduling management system, including sensor modules, user devices, and servers such as medical scheduling management hub 1315 in medical appointment delay notification system 1300 may communicate via a network. Such network may be a local area network (LAN) and/or part of a global network.

FIG. 14 illustrates an example network architecture 1400 that can be used in conjunction with the various techniques and embodiments of the present disclosure. In various embodiments, network architecture 1400 may be a broadcast and multicast/unicast system. The network architecture 1400 includes a number of user devices 1402 and 1404 communicably connected to server system 1412 by a network 1410.

In various embodiments, network 1410 may be a wired and/or wireless network. In some embodiments, network 1410 may be a local area network (LAN), which interconnects computers and devices within a limited area. In other embodiments, network 1410 may comprise other network types, such as a wide area network (WAN), or a global network, such as the Internet. In some embodiments, network 1410 may be an unsecured wireless network. However, in other embodiments, network 1410 may be a secure wireless network in which various devices and systems may require authorization to access network 1410. Various security protocols may be implemented to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive private medical information protected under HIPAA. Such secure network may implement various network protection protocols, including WEP, WPA, and WPA2.

In some embodiments, mobile device 1402 and/or 1404 may be a user ID, such as ID 211, ID, 221, or ID 231, as described with reference to FIG. 2A, and/or a medical professional mobile device 1301, as described with reference to FIG. 13. In some embodiments, mobile device 1402 includes multiple receivers for receiving both broadcast and multicast/unicast data, such as data from IP networks delivered over cellular, mobile, Wi-Fi, etc. Although only two user devices are depicted in FIG. 14, it should be recognized that architecture 1400 may include any number of user devices corresponding to individuals, such as medical professionals and/or patients.

In some embodiments, server system 1412 may be schedule management system 1200 and/or medical scheduling management hub 1315. In some embodiments, server system 1412 includes one or more processors and memory. The processors of server system 1412 execute computer instructions (e.g., network computer program code) stored in the memory to perform functions of a network data exchange server.

As previously described, server system 1412 may function as a content server configured to receive and store network profile information, including appointment change status info 1141, patient appointment info 1101, and/or patient medical records 1115. Server system 1412 may also function as a dispatch server configured to transmit and/or route network data packets including network messages. In some embodiments, the network architecture 1400 may further include a database 1414 communicably connected to user devices 1402 and 1404, and server system 1412 via network 1410. In some embodiments, database 1414 may be database 1100. In some embodiments, network data, or other information such as appointment information and patient information may be stored in and/or retrieved from database 1414. In some embodiments, database 1414 is a component within server system 1412 and stored within memory of server system 1412. Although only one server system is depicted in FIG. 14, it should be recognized that architecture 1400 may include any number of server systems configured to perform one or more of the functionalities described above.

In various embodiments, network architecture 1400 includes a signal source device 1416. Source device 1416 may connect network 1410 with a global network such as the Internet. In some embodiments, source device 1416 may be a modem and/or router. In some embodiments source device 1416 may be a wireless router. In some embodiments, source device 1416 may wirelessly connect server system 1412 to network 1410. In some embodiments, source device 1416 may be a component within server system 1412.

In various embodiments, network architecture includes wireless access point (WAP) 1418. In some embodiments, one or more WAPs 1418 may be connected to a wired network and provide wireless access to the LAN. In some embodiments, user devices 1402 and 1404 may connect to network 1410 via wireless access point (WAP) 1418. WAP 1418 may be a networking hardware device that allows a Wi-Fi compliant device, such as user devices 1402 and 1404, to connect to network 1410. In some embodiments, WAP 1418 may connect to network 1410 via source device 1416, such as a router (via a wired or wireless network), as a standalone device. However, in some embodiments, WAP 1418 may be an integral component of source device 1416. In some embodiments WAP 1418 may be wirelessly connected to network 1410.

Users of the client devices 1402 and 1404 may access the server system 1412 to participate in a network data exchange service, such as a medical appointment scheduling service. For example, the client devices 1402 and 1404 can execute web browser applications that can be used to access the network data exchange service. In another example, the client devices 1402 and 1404 can execute software applications that are specific to the network (e.g., networking data exchange “apps” running on smartphones). In further embodiments, client devices 1402 and 1404 are configured to use global position system (GPS), or other geo-location capabilities, to determine a user's location.

Users interacting with the user devices 1402 and 1404 can participate in the network data exchange service provided by the server system 1412 by providing appointment requests and other patient related data. In some implementations, the client devices 1402 and 1404 can be computing devices such as laptop or desktop computers, smartphones, personal digital assistants, portable media players, tablet computers, or other appropriate computing devices that can be used to communicate with a network. In some implementations, the server system 1412 can include one or more computing devices such as a computer server. In some implementations, the server system 1412 can represent more than one computing device working together to perform the actions of a server computer (e.g., cloud computing). In some implementations, the network 1410 can be a public communication network (e.g., the Internet, cellular data network, dial up modems over a telephone network) or a private communications network (e.g., private LAN, leased lines).

With reference to FIG. 15, shown is a diagrammatic representation of an example of a sensor module 1500 for medical scheduling management, in accordance with one or more embodiments. In some embodiments, sensor module 1500 may be a module such as module 205 described with reference to FIG. 2A. Sensor module 1500 may comprise location sensor 1501. In some embodiments, location sensor 1501 may be sensor 213 and/or sensor 1303. As previously described, sensor 1501 may connect to a user device, such as a ID tag or mobile device, including medical professional mobile device 1301, which corresponds to a particular individual, such as a medical professional (including physicians, assistants, etc.) or a patient. This connection may indicate the presence of the corresponding individual within the examination room.

In various embodiments, location sensor 1501 may transmit and/or receive various signals, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc., via transceiver 1519 which comprises antenna 1509. In some embodiments transceiver 1519 may be transmitter/receiver 216, which functions both to transmit and receive signals. Sensor 1501 may be configured to connect to a user device, such as ID 211, patient device 1217, or medical professional mobile device 1301. As previously described, transceiver 1519 may be configured to detect an ID that may be an active beacon or a non-powered readable tag. For example, transceiver 1519 may emit an electromagnetic signal which impinges on an identifier comprising an RFID or infrared tag to power a return signal, as previously described with reference to FIG. 2B. As another example, transceiver 1519 may detect a signal emitted from the ID, such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi signal, as previously described with reference to FIG. 2C. In a further example, a user device may transmit a signal which can be detected by transceiver 1519 to form a connection. In various embodiments, sensor 1501 detects a signal to determine whether an individual (patient, assistant, doctor, etc.) is in or out of the exam room, as previously described with respect to FIGS. 2D and/or 2E.

In some embodiments, sensor module 1500 may be configured to emit a wireless signal with a signal range of a desired shape to correspond to the characteristics of a given room. For example, one or more directional wireless transmitters or antenna 1509 may be implemented to provide a signal with a radiation pattern of a particular shape. For example, a room with four walls may be a rectangular configuration with two opposite walls further from each other than the two other opposite walls. In such an example, an omnidirectional wireless signal may be transmitted by antenna 1509 to reach the two closer walls, while directional antenna 1509 may be used to extend the signal range to reach the two further walls. Thus, a signal that is transmitted from and/or received by sensor module 1500 may be more closely correlated with the presence of a particular individual within the room. In various embodiments, sensor module 1500 may be configured to emit a signal to correspond to various shapes and sizes of rooms.

In some embodiments, the wireless signal transmitted by sensor module 1500 may be tuned to a signal strength corresponding to the size of the corresponding room (such as an exam room or a medical office). In various embodiments, the signal strength may be tuned by adjusting the gain in a signal amplifier, such as amplifier 1517. For example, a lower signal strength may be tuned for a smaller exam room such that the range of the wireless signal is decreased and does not extend beyond the walls of the exam room. As another example, a larger signal strength may be tuned for a larger exam room such that the range of the wireless signal is increased to reach the walls of the exam room. In some various embodiments, leakage of Wi-Fi signals out of the exam room may not be avoided. However, the signal strength may be tuned such that the strength of the wireless signal outside of the exam room is negligible such that it cannot communicate with a user device, or is ignored by the user device.

In various embodiments, software applications may be implemented to tune the strength. In some embodiments, such software applications may be installed in memory 1503 and executed by processor 1505 to tune the strength of the wireless signal. In some embodiments, such software applications may be installed on a computer server, such as medical scheduling management hub 1315, which may communicate tuning instructions to sensor module 1500 via notification hub interface 1511. In some embodiments, such software applications may be installed on various other devices, such as medical professional mobile device 1301, which may communicate tuning instructions to sensor module 1500 via medical professional device interface 1521.

In further embodiments, transceiver 1519 may further be configured to communicate with various systems within a network. For example, transceiver 1519 may be configured to transmit the location status of the individual to a remote processor, such as remote processor 234. For example, transceiver 1519 may include delay log interface 1207, which allows data such as real-time location and time information for appointments in-progress to be transmitted to an appointment delay log 1219, as previously described. Additionally, and/or alternatively, transceiver 1519 may include patient notification interface, which notifies upcoming patients if their appointments will be substantially delayed, such as at a patient mobile device 1217, as previously described.

In some embodiments, transceiver 1519 may be configured to transmit location status to a medical scheduling management hub 1315 via notification hub interface 1511. As previously described with reference to notification hub interface 1311, notification hub interface 1511 may send data regarding real-time appointment start times to the medical scheduling management hub 1315 for processing. In some embodiments, transceiver 1519 may be configured to transmit location status to a medical professional mobile device 1301 via a medical professional device interface 1521. As previously described with reference to medical professional mobile device interface 1321, medical professional mobile device interface 1521 is used to send messages to the medical professional mobile device 1301, such as “Has the Smith 1:10 pm appointment begun?” In some embodiments, transceiver 1519 may be configured to transmit and receive data from patient appointment info database 1335.

In certain embodiments, location sensor 1501 may transmit a wireless signal to a user device, such as medical professional mobile device 1301 or patient device 1217 via transceiver 1519. In some embodiments, transceiver 1519 may be an integral component of location sensor 1501. For example, transceiver 1519 may function as an active beacon that transmits a signal to one or more medical professional mobile devices, such as 1301, previously described with reference to FIG. 13. In various embodiments, transceiver 1519 may transmit a wireless signal, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc. For example, each medical professional mobile device may include a location sensor that can detect the signal transmitted by transceiver 1519. More specifically, the transceiver 1519 may transmit a signal to a location sensor 1303. A signal detected by location sensor 1303 in the mobile device 1301, may indicate when a medical professional enters or leaves an examination room. The mobile device may then store such location information in memory, such as 1305, and may process such data via processor 1307. Alternatively, and/or additionally, the mobile device may transmit the location information to medical scheduling management hub 1315 for processing via notification hub interface 1311.

In the present example, sensor module 1500 may include memory 1503, which is used to store data and program instructions and maintain a local side cache. The program instructions may control the operation of an operating system and/or one or more applications, such as for tuning signal strength for example. In some examples, the size of the memory 1503 may be limited, as when most of the processing and storage of data is performed at the medical professional mobile device 1301 and/or medical scheduling management hub 1315. In addition, processor 1505 may include limited processing of the data collected. For instance, the data collected may include the times and locations of particular appointments and processor 1505 can be used to format the information before sending it to the medical professional mobile device 1301 and/or medical scheduling management hub 1315. The limited memory 1503 and processor 1505 sizes and capabilities may be appropriate because the components can be smaller and more conveniently designed into a smaller casing to reduce obstruction and remain out of sight.

In various embodiments, sensor module 1500 may include display 1507. In some embodiments, display 1507 may indicate that the location sensor 1501 has detected that an individual is in the exam room. For example, an icon may appear to indicate that location sensor 1501 has detected the presence of a particular individual. There may be icons, each indicating a separate individual with an ID that is detected. The icons may disappear when the corresponding individual leaves the exam room. In other embodiments, display 1507 may specify various status or modes of sensor module 1500, including power status, error messages, etc. In some embodiments, display 1507 may further display the time, temperature, signal strength, etc. In some embodiments, display 1507 includes user input means to allow the medical professional to interact with the system, such as through a screen, touch screen, etc. As described above, the medical professional may input data through this display 1507 and/or view options through the display 1507.

In particular embodiments, the location of an individual may depend upon the strength of the connection or signal detected between sensor module 1500 and a user device. A stronger signal may correspond more closely to the presence of an individual in a room because a signal detected at a transceiver in a first medical office may be several times stronger if a doctor is in the first medical office than if the doctor is in a different medical office. For example, location information of an individual may not be recorded and/or detected until a user device corresponding to that individual detects a signal transmitted by sensor module 1500 that is above a predetermined threshold signal strength. In some embodiments, such signal strength may be measured in decibel-milliwatts (dBm). As another example, where the user ID is a non-powered readable tag, the user ID may not be configured to power a return signal until the electromagnetic signal emitted by sensor module 1500 impinges on the user ID above a predetermined threshold signal strength. In yet another example, where the user device transmits a wireless signal, location sensor module 1500 may only record location information when the detected signal transmitted by the user device is above predetermined threshold signal strength.

Additionally, and/or alternatively, the location of an individual may depend upon the duration of the connection or signal detected between sensor module 1500 and a user device. For example, as previously described, sensor module 1500 may emit a signal as long as a user device is in range. The location of an individual may be established and recorded when the duration of the connection between sensor module 1500 and a user device exceeds a predetermined threshold, such as one minute for example. As also previously described, sensor module 1500 may emit a pulse at a regular interval which forms a connection with the user device when in range. A location of an individual may be established and recorded when a predetermined number of signal pulses are detected by the user device, such as 4 pulses for example. In yet another example, a user device may emit a pulse at a regular interval which may be detected by sensor module 1500. A location of an individual may be established and recorded when a predetermined number of signal pulses are detected by sensor module 1500. In these described examples, as long as a signal is detected at a regular interval, it can be determined that the user device, and the corresponding individual, is within range, and within the room. This may differentiate a more temporary connection made when an individual merely passes by the room in the hallway.

In some embodiments, sensor module 1500 may include a transceiver 1519 comprising a Wi-Fi extender, which may alternatively be referred to herein as a Wi-Fi booster or repeater. The Wi-Fi extender of sensor module 1500 may be configured to connect to an existing wireless network and retransmit the signal corresponding to the size and other characteristics of a room, as previously described. For example, a medical-office may include a broadcast and multicast and/or unicast wireless network. Various Wi-Fi extender systems that may be implemented with various embodiments of the present disclosure are further described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/439,792 by Bullington et al., filed on Feb. 22, 2017, titled LIGHTING SYSTEM FOR MEDICAL APPOINTMENT PROGRESS TRACKING BY WI-FI DETECTION, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety and for all purposes.

In some embodiments the Wi-Fi extender of sensor module 1500 may comprise two or more wireless routers. A first wireless router may be configured to connect to a wireless signal of an existing network, such as network 1410. The first wireless router may receive the wireless signal via source device 1416. For example, a Wi-Fi signal may be transmitted by source device 1416, such as a server, a mobile device, router, or another wireless access point on the wireless network. For example, transmitter/receiver 236 depicted in FIG. 2A, may be a source device 1416 which transmits a wireless signal. As another example, schedule management system 1200 may include a source device 1416 which transmits a wireless signal. The first wireless router may then transfer the wireless signal to a second wireless router in the Wi-Fi extender, which rebroadcasts that Wi-Fi signal into the room. In some embodiments, the Wi-Fi extender may function as a wireless access point 1418 to connect to user devices that are in range within the room. User devices, such as user IDs or medical professional mobile devices, may then connect to the network via the signal rebroadcasted by the Wi-Fi extender.

In some embodiments, the Wi-Fi extender may be directly connected a network via a wired connection, such as via Ethernet. In some embodiments, the Wi-Fi extender of sensor module 1500 may comprise a powerline adapter, such as a powerline Ethernet adapter, which is configured to receive a network signal sent from a router or other source device 1416 over electrical circuits. For example, a first adapter may be connected to a source device 1416, such as a router, via a direct wired connection, such as Ethernet. The first adapter may then be plugged into a power outlet coupled to an electrical circuit. The first adapter may be configured to transmit the network signal from the source device 1416 through the electrical circuit to a second powerline Ethernet adapter within location sensor 1501 of sensor module 1500, which is plugged into another power outlet coupled to the electrical circuit. The second adapter of location sensor 1501 may be configured to convert the signal to a wireless signal within the room to connect with user devices. As previously described, the wireless signal may be tuned to a strength and/or shape corresponding to the characteristics of the room.

As such, the network signal may travel with the same electrical current that powers sensor module 1500 along an electrical circuit from the power source to sensor module 1500. In some embodiments, the electrical current including the network signal may run directly from power supply 1513 to power interface 1515, which supplies the electrical current to lighting interface 1508. In some embodiments, the electrical current is used to power lighting element 1509 to emit light. As compared to a Wi-Fi extender comprising a plurality of wireless router, by transmitting the network signal through the electrical current via powerline adapters may add an additional level of security for the network. Because there the network signal is not transmitted to the room via wired connection, there is one less step of signal transmission that is done wirelessly. Therefore, the transmission of the signal to the Wi-Fi extender is direct and not subject to possible reception by other unauthorized devices. Furthermore, a direct transmission of a network signal via electrical current is more direct and immediate with less drop off in signal strength.

In various implementations, the Wi-Fi extender of sensor module 1500 in a room may transmit information identifying the room such that a user device may identify the room location corresponding to the received signal. In some embodiments, each Wi-Fi extender of a sensor module 1500 in a room includes a unique IP address and/or MAC address. Such information may be included within data packets transmitted through the wireless signal by the Wi-Fi extender.

According to various embodiments, data may be transmitted by the Wi-Fi extender over the wireless network that implements standards from the IEEE 802.11 standards family, such as Wi-Fi. Such data may be transmitted in the form of data packets corresponding to a seven-layer Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model of computer networking and utilize standard protocols such as transmission control protocol (TCP) or user datagram protocol (UDP). A typical UDP data packet corresponding to an IEEE 802.11 wireless standard includes a media access control (MAC) sublayer of the data-link layer, organized as a MAC frame consisting of a MAC header, a frame body, and a frame check sequence (FCS).

As previously explained, in some implementations, the wireless network is a secure wireless network. The data within the frame body of a data packet sent over a secure wireless network, called a payload, is encrypted and cannot be read by a user device that is not authorized to receive data packets on the secure wireless network. However, in some implementations, data packets may be sent via multicast format, such as IP multicast, application layer multicast, or multicast over other wireless networks. An example of an IP multicast technique may utilize one or more IP multicast group addresses as destination IP addresses that are stored in the MAC headers of the sent data packets. Such multicast data packets may be sent by the Wi-Fi extender via a wireless communication interface, such as transceiver 1519. In some embodiments, the destination IP addresses include MAC addresses reserved specifically for Ethernet multicast.

In other embodiments, the Wi-Fi extender may send a simple service discovery protocol (SSDP) to continuously scan for the presence of user devices. In some embodiments, the Wi-Fi extender may transmit multi-cast data packets when a user device has been detected. In other embodiments, the Wi-Fi extender may continuously transmit multicast data packets with information corresponding to the identification of the room. In some implementations, a user device may include hardware, such as a wireless interface, configured to scan for and receive multiple multicast data packets addressed to one or more IP multicast group addresses over a wireless network. In some embodiments, the user device may be set to an initial listening mode to actively search for wireless communications being sent on various communication channels. For example, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi has 14 channels for communication, 11 of which are approved for use. When in listening mode, the user device spends a certain amount of time, such as 1 second, on each channel to detect for transmission. Once a transmission is detected on a particular channel, the user device may stay tuned to the particular channel to receive the sent multicast data packets.

In some embodiments, a user device may not have access to the secure wireless network when receiving the multicast data packets. For example, the Wi-Fi extender of lighting sensor 1500 may provide the same network protection as existing routers, such as WEP, WPA and WPA2. In other embodiments, the wireless connection device may not be authorized to access the secure wireless network and thus, cannot decrypt encrypted portions of the multicast data packets. By restricting access to the secure wireless network by a user device, the system may provide for additional network security, such as for HIPAA related information. In some embodiments, only user devices corresponding to certain individuals may be restricted. For example, user devices corresponding to patients may not have access to the secure network. However, in some embodiments, user devices corresponding to medical professionals may have access to the secure network.

Various methods and systems for transmitting identification data via payloads, MAC headers, and/or other portions of data packets are further described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/439,792 titled LIGHTING SYSTEM FOR MEDICAL APPOINTMENT PROGRESS TRACKING BY WI-FI DETECTION, previously referenced above.

In some embodiments, sensor module 1500 may be centrally located within an exam room, or other room. A centrally located lighting system may allow a wireless signal to have a comprehensive coverage of a particular room. For example, it may allow for an omnidirectional wireless signal with a range comprising a uniform radius to be emitted without extending beyond the walls of the room. In other embodiments, directional wireless signals may be transmitted from centrally located sensor module 1500. In some embodiments, sensor module 1500 may be located on a stand or other surface in the center of the room. In some embodiments, sensor module 1500 may be mounted at the center of the ceiling and/or floor of the room.

In various embodiments, sensor module 1500 may be a lighting system. In some embodiments, the lighting system may be a light bulb that can be used in any room with an appropriate terminal. In some embodiments, the lighting system may comprise a lighting element which emits light for lighting a room, such as a metal filament, such as tungsten, which is housed in a sealed, oxygen-free chamber. In another example, the lighting element may be a light emitting diode (LED) lighting system. In some embodiments, the lighting system may comprise a light fixture and the lighting element may be a light bulb that is used within the lighting system. For example, the lighting element may be an incandescent lamp with a wire filament, or a light emitting diode (LED) lamp including one or more LED chips.

In some embodiments, a sensor module 1400 comprising a lighting system may be located at the center of a room, such as a medical examination room. In various medical settings lighting fixtures are generally centrally positioned to provide optimal lighting for examinations and/or procedures. For example, an examination table and/or chair may be located in the center of an examination room with the lighting system positioned above on the ceiling. Since a lighting structure in a medical examination room may be centered about the location of a patient during an examination and/or procedure, a signal transmitted from and/or received by a the sensor module 1400 may correspond more closely to the occurrence of an examination and/or procedure.

Additionally, a transceiver may be integrated into a lighting system which may be adjusted by a medical professional (such as a physician or medical assistant) to illuminate a patient and/or a particular area of the patient. Thus, in various examples, the position of lighting system may closely correspond to the location of a patient, medical professional and/or other individual or user. In this way, the proximity of an individual to lighting system may indicate when an examination has begun or is in progress. Integrating the transceiver into a lighting system incorporates the transceiver and/or tracking system into an essential structure of the exam room, which may reduce clutter in an exam room in which limited space may already be designated for various tools, furniture, and other essential appliances. In various embodiments, the lighting element of the lighting system, such as wire filaments and/or diodes, may function as an antenna for transmission and reception of wireless signals.

Various other lighting systems that may be implemented with various embodiments of the present disclosure are further described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/439,787 by Bullington et al., filed on Feb. 22, 2017, titled LIGHTING SYSTEM FOR MEDICAL APPOINTMENT PROGRESS TRACKING, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety and for all purposes.

In various embodiments, directional wireless signals may be used to contain or direct a wireless signal within a room, such as an exam room, to create fenced coverage areas. An omnidirectional or dipole antenna radiates and/or receives radio wave power uniformly in all directions in one plane, with the radiated power decreasing with elevation angle above or below the plane, dropping to zero on the antenna's axis. In contrast, a directional transceiver with a directional antenna may radiate and/or receive greater power in specific directions allowing for increased performance and reduced interference from unwanted sources. Directional antennas may provide increased performance over dipole or omnidirectional antennas when greater concentration of radiation in a certain direction is desired.

With reference to FIG. 16A, shown is an illustration of an example radiation pattern 1600-A of a directional antenna, in accordance with one or more embodiments. Typically, directional antennas emits wireless signals with a radiation pattern comprising one main lobe 1602-A and several minor lobes, including back lobe 1604-A and side lobes 1606-A. As depicted in FIG. 16A, radiation pattern 1600-A may be the radiation pattern in the azimuth plane and/or the elevation plane. In some embodiments, radiation pattern 1600-A may additionally, and/or alternatively, show the receptivity of an antenna to wireless signals arriving from a specified direction.

Directional antennas are designed to send a signal to a specific spot with accuracy (or receive a signal from a specific location with accuracy). Typically, a directional antenna includes a radiation pattern with a larger main lobe 1602-A smaller back lobe 1604-A and side lobes 1606-A. The larger main lobe 1602-A is the radiation lobe containing the direction of maximum radiation, while the minor lobes are any lobes may represent radiation in undesired directions, and which may be minimized. As depicted in FIG. 16A, radiation pattern 1600-A may be an azimuth plane pattern along an x-z plane, where the z-axis is the axis in which the directional antenna is directed. However, radiation pattern 1600-A may be an elevation plane pattern along a y-z plane.

As depicted in FIG. 16A, radiation pattern 1600-A may include a gain of approximately 20 dB. Furthermore, radiation pattern 1600-A may include a −3 dB beamwidth 1608-A of about 20°, measured at the 0.5 power or 0.707 voltage points. However, in various embodiments, the various sensor modules may be adjusted and/or tuned to achieve desired power settings that correspond to the size or characteristics of an examination room, as further described below. In various embodiments, adjusting the gain may affect the beamwidth of the radiation pattern of an antenna. In some embodiments, adjusting the gain may affect locations and sizes of areas covered by various signal strengths (as described below with reference to signal zones).

Various antennas may include a directional radiation pattern such as 1600-A. For example, patch antennas, horn antennas, yagi antennas, and parabolic dish antennas may radiate a directional radiation pattern. One or more of these aforementioned antenna types and/or various other antenna types may be implemented in various embodiments of the present disclosure.

A patch antenna may comprise a single rectangular (or circular) conductive plate that is spaced above a ground plane. Patch antennas may provide a low profile and ease of fabrication. The radiation pattern of a single patch may be characterized by a single main lobe of moderate beamwidth. Frequently, the beamwidths in the azimuth and elevation planes are similar, resulting in a fairly circular beam, although this is by no means universal. The beamwidths can be manipulated to produce an antenna with higher or lower gain, depending on the requirements. An antenna built with a single patch will have a maximum gain of about 9 dBi or a slightly less.

With reference to FIG. 16B, shown is an illustration of a patch array antenna 1650 that can be used in conjunction with the various techniques and embodiments of the present disclosure. In various embodiments, a patch array antenna may comprise an arrangement of multiple patch antennas that are all driven by the same source. In some embodiments, this arrangement consists of patches arranged in orderly rows and columns (a rectangular array). With a low profile design, a patch antenna may be implemented in sensor module 1500 to reduce obstruction and/or visibility of the sensor module 1500 in the exam room.

As shown in FIG. 16B, which depicts a 4×4 patch array of patches 1651. The patches 1651 lie along the x-y plane so as to direct a directional wireless signal in the direction of the z-axis. In some embodiments, antenna 1650 may be antenna 1509 of sensor module 1500. In various embodiments, such antenna 1650 may be configured to transmit and/or receive various types of signals, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, infrared signals, or other radio frequency signals.

This arrangement may provide for higher gain, which may correspond to a narrower beamwidth than a single patch antenna. Patch array antennas may also minimize the radiation size of minor lobes. With reference to FIGS. 16C and 16D, shown is an illustration of a radiation pattern emitted by a patch array antenna, in accordance with one or more embodiments. FIG. 16C depicts an azimuth plane pattern 1600-C along the x-z plane and FIG. 16D depicts an elevation plane pattern 1600-D along the y-z plane.

In some embodiments, the radiation patterns 1600-C and 1600-D may correspond to patch array antenna 1650. In some embodiments, radiation patterns 1600-C and 1600-D may correspond to various other directional antennas, previously described. As shown in FIG. 16C, radiation pattern 1600-C includes main lobe 1602-C, back lobe 1604-C, side lobes 1606-C, and a −3 dB beamwidth 1608-C. As shown in FIGS. 16D, radiation pattern 1600-D includes main lobe 1602-D, back lobe 1604-C, side lobes 1606-D, and a −3 dB beamwidth 1608-D. In various embodiments, the radiation patterns 1600-C and 1600-D may comprise a gain of about 18 dBi with an azimuth and elevation plane beamwidth of about 20 degrees. However, in various embodiments, the beamwidth 1608-C of a radiation pattern in the azimuth plane may differ from the beamwidth 1608-D of the same radiation pattern in the elevation plane. The back lobes may be very small and the front-to-back ratio may be about 30 dB. The first side lobes may be down from the peak about 14 dB.

In various embodiments, one or more sensor modules 1500 may be strategically positioned around a room, such as an examination room, in order to create a signal fence to detect when a user device, and a corresponding individual, has entered and/or exited the room. With reference to FIGS. 17A and 17B, shown is a heat map of wireless signal strength corresponding to a sensor module including a directional transceiver, in accordance with one or more embodiments. As shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B, a sensor module 1705 is located within room 1700. In some embodiments, the sensor module 1705 may be sensor module 1500 with a directional panel antenna, such as panel array antenna 1650. In the present example, sensor module 1705 may be configured to transmit and/or receive Wi-Fi signals.

In some embodiments, room 1700 may be examination room 210. For example, room 1700 may be an examination room approximately 9 feet by 10 feet. In other embodiments, room 1700 may comprise various dimensions that are appropriate for a given examination and/or procedure. Room 1700 may include four walls 1750-1, 1750-2, 1750-3, and 1750-4, which may include door 1752 (door 1752 is not shown in FIG. 17B). Room 1700 may further include floor 1750-5 and ceiling 1750-6. Room 1700 further includes an exam table 1754 on which a patient 1701 may be during an examination. Patient 1701 may possess user device 1711. In some embodiments, patient 1701 may be patient 201 and user device 1711 may be patient's identifier 211. Physician 1703 may also be in room 1700 and may possess user device 1731. In some embodiments, physician 1703 may be physician 203 and user device 1731 may be physician's identifier 231 and/or other medical professional mobile device 1301.

Sensor module 1705 may be positioned on or near the center of wall 1750-4 at an equal distance between walls 1750-1 and 1750-3, and at an equal distance between ceiling 1750-6 and floor 1750-5. In some embodiments, sensor module 1705 may be a sensor module 1500 and/or sensor module 205. In this configuration, a directional wireless signal is directed away from door 1752. However, in various embodiments, sensor module 1705 may be mounted on or near any position of any of the walls, and at any height, as will be further discussed below.

In various embodiments, wireless signal strength may be correlated with the radiation pattern of a given antenna. Thus, the wireless signal strength in FIG. 17A may be correlated to radiation pattern 1600-C, which is viewed along the x-z plane, while the wireless signal strength in FIG. 17B may be correlated to radiation pattern 1600-D, which is viewed along the y-z plane. As further depicted in FIGS. 17A and 17B, the wireless signal strength is visualized as multiple zones, each zone representing a range of signal strength measured in decibel-milliwatts (dBm).

Zone 1720 represents a signal strength of approximately greater than −30 dBm to −30 dBm. In various embodiments, signals with a strength of approximately −30 dBm may be the max achievable signal strength of the wireless signal, such as Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. Zone 1722 represents a signal strength of approximately −31 dBm to −67 dBm. In some embodiments, signals with a strength of approximately −67 dBm may be the minimum strength for applications that require very reliable, timely packet delivery, such as voice over IP (VoIP), Voice over Wi-Fi (VoWiFi), or streaming video. Zone 1724 represents a signal strength of approximately −68 dBm to −70 dBm. In some embodiments, a signal with a strength of approximately −70 dBm may be the minimum signal strength for processes requiring reliable packet delivery, such as email or web browsing. Zone 1726 represents a signal strength of approximately −71 dBm to −80 dBm. In some embodiments, a signal with a strength of approximately −80 dBm may be the minimum signal strength for basic connectivity, and packet delivery may be unreliable. Zone 1728 represents a signal strength of approximately −81 dBm to −90 dBm. In some embodiments, a signal strength of approximately −90 dBm may be approaching or drowning in the noise floor and any connectivity functionality is highly unlikely. Zone 1730 represents a signal strength of less than −91 dBm. It is unlikely that any signal with a signal strength below −91 dBm will be received by any device.

In some embodiments, the heat map depicted in FIGS. 17A and 17B may additionally, and/or alternatively, show the receptivity of an antenna to wireless signals arriving from a specified direction. For example, the various zones described above describe how receptive a directional antenna within sensor module 1705 is to a transmitted signal from a particular location, such as from a user device 1711 and/or 1731.

As can be seen, the transmitted signal may have the highest signal strength in zone 1720 near sensor module 1705. This high strength zone 1720 may be small and localized in a small area near sensor module 1705. In some embodiments, the majority of room 1700 may be covered by zones 1722, 1724, and 1726, which may cover a range between approximately −31 dBm to −80 dBm. As previously described, −31 dBm to −80 dBm corresponds to signal strength required for reliable coverage and connection, and zones 1722, 1724, and 1726 may be referred to herein as the effective coverage area or coverage zone. In some embodiments, the effective coverage area may be configured to include one or more other zones and/or fewer zones than described above. For example, an effective coverage area may include zones 1720, 1722, 1724, and 1726.

Zones 1722, 1724, and 1726 also cover a significant portion of the center of room 1700 around the three dimensions in which exam table 1754 is located. Thus, during an examination, patient 1701 may be located on exam table 1754, and the corresponding user device 1711 may be within the coverage zone to connect with the network via wireless signals transmitted by sensor module 1705. In the same way, a user device 1731 corresponding to physician 1703, or other medical professional, may connect to the network in the coverage zone via wireless signal transmitted and/or received by sensor module 1705, when physician 1703 is near the center of the room at the exam table 1754. Thus, a connection between the sensor module and the user device may closely correspond to the occurrence of an examination.

As currently depicted in FIG. 17A, user device 1731 corresponding to physician 1703 may be in zone 1728. As previously described zone 1728 corresponds to a wireless signal strength range of approximately −81 dBm to −90 dBm, which may result in highly unreliable packet delivery over Wi-Fi. Thus, identifying information corresponding to room 1700 and/or physician 1703 may not be transmitted over a connection, when physician 1703 and corresponding user device 1731 are in zone 1728. Additionally, wireless signal strength in zone 1730 may be too weak to form a connection with a user device.

In some embodiments, a user device 1711 and/or 1731 may be configured to ignore any detected signal with a signal strength below −81 dBm, which is covered by zones 1728 and 1730. In some embodiments, sensor module 1705 may be configured to ignore any detected signal with a signal strength below −81 dBm. Thus, various user devices may not connect to and/or communicate with a network, such as network 1400, while in zones 1728 or 1730. By fencing the strongest signals in the coverage zones within the center of exam room 1700, and more specifically around an exam table 1754, or other designated examination area, network connections formed between the sensor module 1705 and user devices (1711 or 1731) more reliably correspond to the occurrence of an examination.

As previously described, the strength of a connection may be used to determine the location of a user, such as patient 1701 and/or physician 1703. In some embodiments, user devices and sensor module 1705 may be configured to ignore detected signals under any desired predetermined threshold. This may result in a smaller coverage zone. For example, user devices 1711 and 1731, and sensor module 1705, may be configured to disregard any signal with a strength of less than −71 dBm. This effectively reduces the coverage zone to include zones 1722, and 1724. In some embodiments, the transmission power of sensor module may be tuned based on adjustments through an amplifier, such as amplifier 1517, as previously described. This may increase or decrease the coverage zone to a desired area of coverage. In various embodiments, a user device and/or sensor module may be configured to receive and/or ignore signals of a desired range of signal strength.

As depicted, in some embodiments, zones 1728 and 1730 may leak out beyond the walls of room 1700, as well as beyond floor 1750-5 and ceiling 1750-6. However, the probability of connecting to a network via sensor 1705 in zones 1728 and 1730 is reduced due to the weakness of signal strength in such zones. Thus, the risk of sensor 1705 connecting to a device outside of room 1700 may be minimal.

Various solutions may be implemented to minimize or eliminate the amount of signal leakage beyond the walls and/or minimize the signal strength of any signals that have leaked beyond the walls of room 1700. This may be due to minor lobes of the radiation pattern, such as 1604-A and 1606-A. In some embodiments, sensor module 1705 may be placed in a location in room 1700 such that signals of a certain signal strength caused by minor lobes do not pass beyond walls of room 1700. For example, the antenna of sensor module may be place an appropriate distance away from wall 1750-4. In some embodiments, different antennas with different radiation patterns may be used which may include narrower beamwidths and/or further reduced side lobe and back lobe signal transmission and/or reception properties.

In some embodiments, reflectors, such as metallic parabolic dishes may be used in conjunction with the antenna to reflect signals transmitted in unwanted directions due to minor lobes. However, in some embodiments, reflecting signals may cause interference with signals transmitted in desired directions. In some embodiments, shielding may be used to block and/or absorb transmitted signals. Various materials may convert a wireless signal'/s energy into heat, such as wood, concrete, glass, water, or other liquids. Such materials may be incorporated into sensor modules to absorb wireless signal energy from minor lobes of a given radiation pattern of an antenna, to minimize wireless signals, and/or wireless signal strength, in undesired directions. In some embodiments, such shielding and or absorption materials may be used to cover the surface of the walls to minimize signal strength.

Although, a single sensor module 1705 is located at or near the center of a wall (wall 1750-4) in FIGS. 17A and 17B, one or more sensor modules may be positioned at various different locations within room 1700. For example, another sensor module 1705 may be positioned at or near the center of another wall, such as wall 1750-1, to increase coverage, for example at the location of physician 1703 in FIG. 17A.

In some embodiments, sensor modules with narrower beamwidths may be located at the corners of room 1700. For example, a horn antenna may include a radiation pattern with a narrow beamwidth along an azimuth plane pattern, with a wider beamwidth along an elevation plane pattern. A sensor module 1705 with such horn antenna configuration may be located at the corner between two adjacent walls, such as walls 1750-1 and 1750-4, at an equal distance between floor 1750-5 and ceiling 1750-6. In some embodiments, a sensor module 1705 with a narrow beamwidth in both the azimuth and elevation plane patterns may be placed in the corner of a room 1700 at two adjacent walls and the ceiling 1750-6 and/or the floor 1750-5.

By using multiple sensor modules, overlapping signal areas may occur. For example, with reference to FIG. 17C, shown an example sensor module system with overlapping signal fields, in accordance with one or more embodiments. As shown in FIG. 17C, room 1700-A includes patient 1701-A with a corresponding user device 1711-A and laying on exam table 1754-A at the center of room 1700-A. Room 1700-A further includes two sensor modules 1705-A and 1705-B at two corners of room 1700-A, and may be positioned at an equal distance between the floor and ceiling. Sensor modules 1705-A and 1705-B include directional transceivers which may be directed toward the center of room 1700-A and/or toward examination table 1754-A. In various embodiments, one or more sensor modules may be directed to any desired location within room 1700-A. Sensor modules 1705-A and 1705-B may include antennas with signal fields 1740-A and 1740-B, respectively. For example, signal fields 1740-A and 1740-B represent coverage areas of sensor modules 1705-A and 1705-B, respectively, where the signal strength is approximately −31 dBm to −80 dBm (e.g., corresponding to zones 1720, 1722, 1724, and 1726).

As shown, coverage areas 1740-A and 1740-B overlap at signal field overlap 1741. Using multiple sensor modules may allow a signal field overlap 1741 to be constrained and/or fenced within an examination room. Furthermore, additional sensor modules may be implemented to create additional signal field overlaps at various locations of the room. As shown, coverage areas 1740-A and 1740-B overlap at signal field overlap 1741, in exam table 1754-A is located. In some embodiments, sensor modules 1705-A and 1705-B may transmit information corresponding to room 1700-A. For example, each sensor module may transmit data packets that include identifying information of room 1700-A, such as in source IP address fields as previously described. However, a sensor module may also transmit information identifying itself. For example, although the source IP addresses of transmitted by each sensor module 1705-A and 1705-B are associated with room 1700-A, the source IP addresses for each sensor module 1705-A and 1705-B may include different source IP addresses.

In some embodiments, a user device, such as user device 1711-A, may be configured to simultaneously connect to multiple sensor modules. When device 1711-A is located within signal field overlap 1741, it will be in range to connect to both sensor modules 1705-A and 1705-B. Thus, in some embodiments, device 1711-A may receive information identifying room 1700-A, as well as information identifying each sensor module it connects to. For example, user device 1711-A may receive data packets from both sensor modules that include information identifying the respective sensor module. The data packets may be processed by user device 1711-A and the presence of patient 1701-A corresponding to user device 1711-A in room 1700-A may be recorded, when it is recognized that data packets from both sensor modules are received.

In some embodiments, the receipt of data packets by user device 1711-A may be sent to a server, such as schedule management system 1200 and/or medical scheduling management hub 1315, where a processor may determine that user device 1711-A is simultaneously connected to both sensor modules. For as long as user device 1711-A is receiving information from both sensor modules 1705-A and 1705-B, the location of corresponding user 1701-a may be logged as within room 1700-A. Thus, the simultaneous connection between one or more sensor modules 1705-A and 1705-B and a user device 1711-A may correspond to the presence of the corresponding user 1701-A within the room 1700-A.

In other embodiments, user device 1711-A may transmit information identifying user device 1711-A and/or corresponding user 1701-A. For example, user device 1711-A may transmit data packets to both sensor modules 1705-A and 1705-B. In some embodiments, the receipt, as well as the time of receipt, of information identifying user device 1711-A by a sensor module may be transmitted to a server, such as schedule management system 1200 and/or medical scheduling management hub 1315, where a processor may determine that both sensor module 1705-A and sensor module 1705-B have connected to user device 1711-A. In some embodiments, the receipt, as well as the time of receipt, of information identifying user device 1711-A by one sensor module 1705-A may be transmitted to another sensor module 1705-B, where it can be determined that user device 1711-A is connected to both sensor modules. For as long as the server can determine that both sensor modules are receiving information from user device 1711-A, the server may log the location of corresponding user 1701-A as within room 1700-A. Thus, the simultaneous connection between one user device 1711-A and one or more sensor modules 1705-A and 1705-B may correspond to the presence of the corresponding user 1701-A within the room 1700-A.

By using simultaneous connections between a user device and multiple sensor modules may provide a more accurate location detection system because the effective coverage areas of each sensor module may only overlap within a given room. For example, it would be more probably that a device connected to both sensor modules 1705-A and 1705-B is in room 1700-A as compared to a device that is only connected to sensor module 1705-A, which may have a signal field that has leaked beyond room 1700-A. Furthermore, it is more unlikely that the effective coverage areas of multiple sensor modules corresponding to a particular room will overlap outside of the room. For example, two sensor modules may be located and correspond to two different rooms. Even if the effective coverage area of each sensor module overlap at some location and is received by a user device, no location will be logged because the signals do not correspond to the same room. In some embodiments, simultaneous connection to sensor modules that do not correspond to the same room may be used to indicate that a corresponding user is not within a particular room.

Location accuracy may be increased by requiring simultaneous connections with more sensor modules within a room. For example, simultaneous connections by a user device with three or more sensor modules may be used to make a more definite identification of the location of a corresponding user. On the other hand, a user device may not need to simultaneously connect to all sensor modules within a room. For example, where multiple sensor modules may be located within a room (e.g., four sensor modules), connection to a predetermined number of sensor modules (e.g., at least two sensor modules) by a user device may be used to determine the location of the corresponding user. In some embodiments, a simultaneous connection is not required. In some embodiments, a near simultaneous connection within a predetermined amount of elapsed time may be sufficient for a system to log the presence of an individual in a particular room.

Any combination of sensor modules with varying radiation patterns may be used to create the desired coverage area for a particular room. In some embodiments, sensor modules 1705 may be directed to different locations in a room 1700 to detect the presence of a user device in more than one location in the room 1700. For example, one sensor module may be directed to an exam table 1754, like sensor module 1705 in FIGS. 17A and 17B, while another sensor module is directed toward a lab area and/or a preparation area.

According to various embodiments, medical personnel and/or patients are not required to login, check in, or do any extra work to indicate their presence in a room. Instead, their location is tracked based on the signals received at the various Bluetooth or Wi-Fi transceivers within sensor modules to automatically manage scheduling.

Furthermore, sensor module 1500 and/or 1705 may provide added privacy protection for sensitive medical information protected by HIPAA. Various embodiments of sensor module 1500 and/or 1705 described herein may provide additional privacy protections within a medical setting. By constraining the effective signal range to within an examination room, a sensor module may not be accessed by devices outside of the examination room. Thus, a sensor module may not be subject to unauthorized access by devices not within the examination room, reducing the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive medical information, such as medical records 1115.

A sensor module may provide an additional separation between the location data and the contact information stored in non-HIPAA portions of a database, as well as the medical records 1115 stored in firewalled HIPAA portions of the database, as described in FIG. 11. For example, sensor module 1500 may be used to detect a unique identification code transmitted by an ID tag corresponding to a patient and/or medical professional. Such unique identification code may be matched with information corresponding to the patient and/or medical professional stored in memory 1503 at sensor module 1500, such as by processor 1505. In some embodiments, such identification code may be matched to corresponding information by a secure server, such as schedule management system 1200 and/or medical scheduling management hub 1315. Thus, there may be an additional separation between the location information of a patient (which may correspond to when an examination is occurring) and the patient appoint info 1101, which is further separated from the patient medical records 1115.

In some embodiments, the unique identification code corresponding to a particular individual may constantly change or cycle through a list of identification codes. Such code changes may be synced at sensor module 1500, such as by processor 1505, so that location tracking can be matched with information corresponding to that individual. In some embodiments, such changes may be synced at a secure server, such as schedule management system 1200 and/or medical scheduling management hub 1315.

With reference to FIGS. 18A and 18B, shown is an example method 1800 for directional signal fencing, in accordance with one or more embodiments. At operation 1801, a first wireless signal directed toward a location within a medical examination room is transmitted via a first directional transceiver of a first sensor module. The location is within a first coverage area 1821 of the first wireless signal. At operation 1803, a second wireless signal directed toward the location within the medical examination room is transmitted via a second directional transceiver of a first sensor module. The location is within a second coverage area 1823 of the second wireless signal.

In some embodiments, the medical examination room may be room 1700-A. In some embodiments, the first sensor module may be sensor module 1705-A, and the second sensor module may be sensor module 1705-B. In some embodiments, the first coverage area 1821 and second coverage area 1823 may be the effective coverage area (comprising at least zones 1722, 1724, and 1726) as described in FIGS. 17A and 17B. The first and second wireless signals may be directed toward a particular location in the exam room, such as exam table 1754-A in room 1700-A. The location may include exam table 1754-A and an area surrounding exam table 1754-A as shown in FIG. 17C. In some embodiments, the first and second wireless signals may be directed toward different locations in the room.

At operation 1805, the signal strength of the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal are tuned to correspond to the size and characteristics of the medical examination room. As previously described, the wireless signal may be tuned by adjusting the gain in a signal amplifier, such as amplifier 1517. In various embodiments, by adjusting the gain, and/or other power modifications, may adjust the reach of the various zones described in FIGS. 17A-C. As also previously described, the radiation pattern of the first and second transceivers may be adjusted based on the configuration of the antenna and/or the type of antenna used.

At operation 1807, the first coverage area 1821 and the second coverage area 1823 are overlapped at a signal overlap area 1825. In some embodiments, signal overlap area 1825 may be signal field overlap 1741. In some embodiments, the location is within the signal overlap area. For example, the designated location may be an exam table, such as exam table 1754-A. As can be seen in FIG. 17C, exam table 1754-A is located within the signal overlap area 1825. In some embodiments, the signal overlap area 1825 does not extend (1827) beyond the medical examination room.

At operation 1809, the first sensor module and the second sensor module are connected to a device 1829 within the signal overlap area 1825 via the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal. In some embodiments, the device 1829 may be user device 1711-A, which may be an ID tag, passive or active beacon, mobile device, or other personal computing device, as described above. The device 1829 may correspond to a physician. In some embodiments, the device 1829 may correspond to a patient, such as patient 1701-A. In some embodiments, the device 1829 may correspond to another medical professional, such as assistant 202.

In some embodiments, the first sensor module is configured to transmit data packets 1831 to the device 1829 during the duration of the connection. The data packets 1831 may include information 1833 identifying the first sensor module and information 1835 identifying the medical examination room. In some embodiments, the second sensor module is configured to transmit data packets 1837 to the device 1829 during the duration of the connection. The data packets 1837 may include information 1839 identifying the second sensor module and information 1835 identifying the medical examination room.

At operation 1811, the presence of the physician in the medical examination room is tracked based on the duration of the connection via the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal. In some embodiments, tracking the presence of the physician includes recording (1841) the presence of the physician in the medical examination room when the device 1829 has simultaneously received data packets (1831 and 1837) from the first sensor module and the second sensor module. In some embodiments, the device 1829 may process the information in data packets 1831 and 1837 to record the location of the physician. In some embodiments, the location information may be transmitted to a schedule management server, such as schedule management system 1200 and/or medical scheduling management hub 1315. In some embodiments, the device 1829 may inform receipt of data packets 1831 and 1837 to the schedule management server, which may determine the simultaneous receipt of data packets 1831 and 1837 to record the location of the physician.

As previously described, more sensor modules may be implemented to transmit additional wireless signals that contribute to the signal overlap area 1825. In various embodiments, the simultaneous reception of data packets from one or more additional sensor modules may be used to determine the location of the physician, or other corresponding individual.

Various computing devices can implement the methods and systems described. For instance, a mobile device, computer system, etc. can be used to generate artificially rendered images. With reference to FIG. 19 shown is a particular example of a computer system that can be used to implement particular examples of the present disclosure. According to particular example embodiments, a system 1900 suitable for implementing particular embodiments of the present disclosure includes a processor 1901, a memory 1903, an interface 1911, and a bus 1915 (e.g., a PCI bus or other interconnection fabric) and operates as a streaming server. The interface 1911 may include separate input and output interfaces, or may be a unified interface supporting both operations.

In some embodiments, processor 1901 may be processors 1205, 1307, 1317, and/or 1505. When acting under the control of appropriate software or firmware, the processor 1901 is responsible for processing, modifying, transmitting, and/or receiving data packets, such as data packets 1831 and 1837, to a user device, such IDs 211, 221, and 231, and/or medical professional mobile device 1301, such as in operation 1809. In some embodiments, processor 1901 is responsible for receiving data packets sent by a user device and/or sensor module, as well as reading the MAC addresses and/or other portions of such data packets. In some embodiments, processor 1901 may also process location information to determine and track the location of a device, such as in operation 1811. Various specially configured devices can also be used in place of a processor 1901 or in addition to processor 1901. The complete implementation can also be done in custom hardware.

The interface 1911 is typically configured to send and receive data packets or data segments over a network. Particular examples of interfaces the device supports include Ethernet interfaces, frame relay interfaces, cable interfaces, DSL interfaces, token ring interfaces, and the like. In some embodiments, interface 1911 may be location sensor 1401 and/or transmitter 1419. In some embodiments, interface 1911 may be interfaces 1207, 1211, and/or 1213 in schedule management system 1200. In some embodiments, interface 1911 may be interfaces 1311, 1321, and/or 1325 in medical appointment delay notification system 1300.

In addition, various very high-speed interfaces may be provided such as fast Ethernet interfaces, Gigabit Ethernet interfaces, ATM interfaces, HSSI interfaces, POS interfaces, FDDI interfaces and the like. Generally, these interfaces may include ports appropriate for communication with the appropriate media. In some cases, they may also include an independent processor and, in some instances, volatile RAM. The independent processors may control such communications intensive tasks as packet switching, media control and management.

According to particular example embodiments, the system 1900 uses memory 1903 to store data and program instructions and maintained a local side cache. The program instructions may control the operation of an operating system and/or one or more applications, for example. The memory or memories may also be configured to store received metadata and batch requested metadata. In some embodiments, memory 1903 may be memory 1203, 1305, 1319, and/or 1403.

According to various embodiments, the system 1900 is a server that also includes a transceiver, streaming buffers, and memory. The server may also be associated with configuration management, logging and report generation, and monitoring capabilities. Particular embodiments, functionality for allowing operation with mobile devices such as cellular phones operating in a particular cellular network and providing subscription management. According to various embodiments, an authentication module verifies the identity of devices including mobile devices. A logging and report generation module tracks mobile device requests and associated responses. A monitor system allows an administrator to view usage patterns and system availability. According to various embodiments, the fragment server handles requests and responses for media content related transactions while a separate streaming server provides the actual media streams.

Because such information and program instructions may be employed to implement the systems/methods described herein, the present disclosure relates to tangible, machine readable media that include program instructions, state information, etc. for performing various operations described herein. Examples of machine-readable media include hard disks, floppy disks, magnetic tape, optical media such as CD-ROM disks and DVDs; magneto-optical media such as optical disks, and hardware devices that are specially configured to store and perform program instructions, such as read-only memory devices (ROM) and programmable read-only memory devices (PROMs). Examples of program instructions include both machine code, such as produced by a compiler, and files containing higher level code that may be executed by the computer using an interpreter.

While the present disclosure has been particularly shown and described with reference to specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in the form and details of the disclosed embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. It is therefore intended that the disclosure be interpreted to include all variations and equivalents that fall within the true spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Although many of the components and processes are described above in the singular for convenience, it will be appreciated by one of skill in the art that multiple components and repeated processes can also be used to practice the techniques of the present disclosure. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A system comprising: a first sensor module, wherein the first sensor module is configured to transmit a first wireless signal including a first coverage area; and a second sensor module, wherein the second sensor module is configured to transmit a second wireless signal including a second coverage area; wherein the first coverage area and the second coverage area overlap at a signal overlap area; wherein the first sensor module is configured to communicate with a device within the signal overlap area via the first wireless signal at a first signal strength, and the second sensor module is configured to communicate with the device within the signal overlap area via the second wireless signal at a second signal strength; and wherein the device corresponds to a user, and wherein a presence of the user in a medical room is indicated by a duration of a simultaneous communication between the device and both the first sensor module and the second sensor module, and the first signal strength and the second signal strength during the simultaneous communication.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal overlap area does not extend beyond the medical room.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor module is configured to transmit a first set of data packets to the device via the first wireless signal, wherein the first set of data packets include information identifying the first sensor module.
 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the second sensor module is configured to transmit a second set of data packets to the device via the second wireless signal, wherein the second set of data packets include information identifying the second sensor module.
 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the presence of the user in the medical room is recorded when the device simultaneously receives the first set of data packets and the second set of data packets.
 6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a schedule management server including a processor and memory, wherein the schedule management server is configured for: logging a timestamp based on the recorded presence of the user in the medical room, the timestamp indicating a beginning of a first appointment; comparing the timestamp with scheduling information to predict whether future appointments will be substantially delayed, wherein scheduling information includes a plurality of scheduled appointments, the plurality of scheduled appointments including the first appointment and a second appointment; and notifying a holder of the second appointment if the second appointment is determined to be substantially delayed.
 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor module and the second sensor module are configured to receive a plurality of data packets from the device during the simultaneous communication, the data packets including information identifying the user.
 8. The system of claim 7, further comprising a schedule management server including a processor and memory, wherein the schedule management server is configured to record the presence of the user in the medical room upon receiving the information identifying the user.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal correspond to different communication protocols.
 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first sensor module comprises a panel antenna.
 11. A method for directional signal fencing comprising: transmitting, via a first sensor module, a first wireless signal including a first coverage area; transmitting, via a second sensor module, a second wireless signal including a second coverage area; overlapping the first coverage area and the second coverage area at a signal overlap area; and simultaneously communicating with a device within the signal overlap area via the first wireless signal at a first signal strength and via the second wireless signal at a second signal strength; wherein the device corresponds to a user, and wherein a presence of the user in a medical room is indicated by a duration of the simultaneous communication between the device and both the first sensor module and the second sensor module, and the first signal strength and the second signal strength during the simultaneous communication.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the signal overlap area does not extend beyond the medical room.
 13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first sensor module is configured to transmit a first set of data packets to the device, the first set of data packets including information identifying the first sensor module.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second sensor module is configured to transmit a second set of data packets to the device, the second set of data packets including information identifying the second sensor module.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein the presence of the user in the medical room is recorded when the device has simultaneously received the first set of data packets and the second set of data packets.
 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: logging a timestamp based on the recorded presence of the user in the medical room, the timestamp indicating a beginning of a first appointment; comparing the timestamp with scheduling information to predict whether future appointments will be substantially delayed, wherein scheduling information includes a plurality of scheduled appointments, the plurality of scheduled appointments including the first appointment and a second appointment; and notifying a holder of the second appointment if the second appointment is determined to be substantially delayed.
 17. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving, at each of the first sensor module and the second sensor module, a plurality of data packets from the device during the simultaneous communication, wherein the data packets include information identifying the user.
 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising recording, at a schedule management server, the presence of the user in the medical room upon receiving the information identifying the user.
 19. The method of claim 11, wherein the first wireless signal and the second wireless signal correspond to different communication protocols.
 20. The method of claim 11, wherein the first sensor module comprises a panel antenna. 